Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram criticized Pakistan's coach, Mickey Arthur, for his comments in a post-match press conference following Pakistan's loss to India. After the match, Arthur expressed his view that the India vs. Pakistan contest did not feel like an ICC event. He suggested that the crowd, DJ, and the overall environment were not neutral, but he also clarified that he wasn't using this as an excuse for the team's performance.
Wasim Akram disagreed with Arthur's comments and found them to be unusual. Akram did not agree with the notion that the atmosphere wasn't neutral, as matches between India and Pakistan often generate a passionate and partisan crowd regardless of the venue. He believed that it was unnecessary to raise such concerns after the match.
Arthur's comments stirred up a debate and raised questions about whether he was referring to the lack of Pakistani supporters in the crowd, as there have been reports that Pakistan fans faced visa issues for the World Cup matches.
"Look, I'd be lying if I said... It didn't seem like an ICC event, tonight, 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," Mickey Arthur said.
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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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Wasim Akram, while providing analysis for Pakistan-based channel A Sports, strongly criticized Mickey Arthur's statement about the India vs. Pakistan match not feeling like an ICC event. Akram expressed his displeasure with Arthur's remarks and called for an explanation or clarification from the coach regarding his comments.
"I don't know what to make of this statement. Tell us what your plans were against Kuldeep Yadav, that's what we want to hear, not just random stuff. You think you can get away with this? You can't, unfortunately," an angry Akram said after the match.
In the second innings, Pakistan was unable to mount a strong resistance against the Indian bowling attack. After being at 155/2, Pakistan's innings collapsed, and they were bowled out for a total of just 191 runs. In response, India batted with aggressive intent and secured a convincing victory over Pakistan with nearly 20 overs remaining in the match.