Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur questioned the one-sided make-up of the crowd for the India-Pakistan fixture in Ahmedabad today (October 14), saying the match “seemed like a BCCI event” rather than a World Cup.
Pakistan lost to India by seven wickets after being bowled out for 191, falling victim to another Rohit masterclass in the chase. The Indian captain hit 86 off his 63 balls, with Shreyas Iyer and his KL Rahul leading the tournament hosts to victory with almost 20 overs remaining.
During the match, there was an uninterrupted blue wall above the stands, and the audience was occupied by Indian fans. While Rohit was batting, the crowd cheered loudly every time he hit a six, but each fall of the wicket was greeted with silence. When Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam formed a solid partnership during Pakistan’s innings, the crowd was almost silent until Babar was dismissed.
Mickey Arthur addressed the crowd at the post-game press conference. “Look, I’d be lying if I said that,” Arthur said when asked if the crowd had an impact on Pakistan’s performance. “To be honest, it didn’t feel like an ICC event. It looked like a bilateral series. It looked like a BCCI event. Tonight from the microphoneDil Dil He Pakistan‘s voice.
“Yes, it’s important, but I don’t use it as an excuse, because for us it’s about living in the moment, it’s about the next ball, it’s about how we move forward. Because tonight’s battle Indians, Indian players.
When asked further whether he thought it was right for the crowd to be so one-sided about the World Cup, Arthur refused to say more.
“I don’t think I can say anything about that now,” he said. “I don’t want to be fined.”
This is Pakistan’s first loss against India in this tournament after defeating Netherlands and Sri Lanka in the first two matches. India are currently at the top of the table having won all their three matches.
“This Indian team is a very good cricket team,” Arthur said. “I think they’re very well led by Rahul and Rohit. I think they look good. I think they’ve covered everything, so I’m looking forward to seeing them again in the final.”
Pakistan will next face Australia in Bangalore on Friday, October 20, while India will play Bangladesh on Thursday, October 19.
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