You might rely the visiting group’s followers in your fingers- if there have been any in any respect! Pakistan followers haven’t been precisely welcomed by the Indian authorities and the shortage of fan help, particularly within the essential and high-voltage match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan has irked its group director Micky Arthur and the teaching workers.
Put up-match, Arthur mentioned that the India vs Pakistan match didn’t look like an ICC occasion and that it reminded him of a BCCI occasion or a bilateral collection in India because the world’s largest cricket stadium, which has a seating capability of 1,30,000 was stuffed to the rafters by followers in “blue jerseys.”
Arthur mentioned that whereas he was not utilizing this as an excuse for the group’s rout by hosts India, the shortage of help and even favorite songs of the group on the Narendra Modi cricket stadium was noticeable. “Look, I might be mendacity if I mentioned… It did not look like an ICC occasion tonight to be brutally trustworthy. It appeared like a bilateral collection; it appeared like a BCCI occasion. I did not hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming by way of the microphones too typically tonight,” Mickey Arthur mentioned.
When pressed if such an environment was proper for the World Cup and whether or not it ought to have been allowed to occur, Arthur mentioned, “Look I do not assume I can touch upon that simply but. I do not need to get fined.”
Even the top coach of the Pakistan group Grant Bradburn agreed with Arthur over the shortage of help and the way it damage the group. “We’re actually unhappy that our supporters aren’t right here,” mentioned Bradburn. “They’d like to be right here and I’m certain Indian cricket followers would love our supporters right here as nicely.” He added: “No acquainted music for us right now.”
The Indian authorities has been very strict about visas to Pakistan media and followers. Reportedly, solely two or three followers have been seen within the stands, however they’d American citizenship. The ICC is being slammed for not making certain Pakistan residents obtained visas earlier than the match. That is for the primary time that these dwelling in Pakistan haven’t been granted visas for the World Cup; this wasn’t the case in earlier ICC occasions. Additionally, the Pakistan media too struggled to succeed in on time for the World Cup and one or two got visas solely on the eve of the high-voltage match.
Nonetheless, with cricket trying to get into the Olympics quickly and the India-Pakistan match wanting terribly one-sided from the stands, the BCCI discovered itself within the dock. It didn’t assist that IOC president Dr Jacques Rogges is within the nation to attend the 141st session of the IOC’s Basic Meeting in Mumbai. Nonetheless, stories of lack of help for a visiting group put India in a clumsy place.