Pakistan's team director, Mickey Arthur, openly acknowledged that his team adopted a "timid" approach and failed to accelerate their pace in the match against India. The presence of over 100,000 partisan fans in the stadium made it feel like a bilateral game hosted by the Indian cricket board rather than a World Cup match.
Arthur appeared to be alluding to the fact that Pakistani supporters had not received visas for the World Cup as of yet. However, when asked for further details on the issue, he chose not to elaborate.
The absence of Pakistani fans at the World Cup likely impacted the atmosphere and energy in the stadium, making it a challenging environment for the Pakistani team.
Asked if the partisan crowd made an impact on players' mindset, Arthur said:"Look, I'd be lying if I said it didn't. It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn't hear 'Dil Dil Pakistan' coming through the microphones too often tonight."
Arthur, however, said that the lack of support in the crowd could not be used an excuse for the team's heavy loss to India.
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"So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse because for us it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball and it was about how we were going to combat the Indian, the Indian players tonight," he added.
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'Dil Dil Pakistan' is a popular song performed by the renowned group Vital Signs, with the late Junaid Jamshed as its frontman. It's a well-known anthem that is often played at ICC events.
After making a comment about the BCCI, Mickey Arthur was pressed for more details by a few foreign journalists, indicating that his initial comment had created a stir and opened up a wider discussion.
Should that be allowed to happen at the World Cup? "Look I don't think I can't comment on that just yet. I don't want to get fined," Arthur said, understanding that he has clearly over-stepped the line.
Inputs from PTI