Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, marking its first major ICC event in nearly 30 years. A viral video has emerged showing a fan being removed from a stadium, allegedly for carrying an Indian flag during a match between Australia and England in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. While the incident’s authenticity is unverified, it has sparked discussions online. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is addressing security concerns following a separate incident where a spectator invaded the field during a New Zealand-Bangladesh match. India opted not to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, playing all matches at a neutral venue in Dubai.
Pakistan is set to host the Champions Trophy 2025, marking its first major ICC event in nearly thirty years. However, recent visuals have sparked significant discussion. A video circulating on social media depicts a fan being escorted out of a stadium by security. The footage shows a man dressed in black being pulled by the collar by security personnel. In the same video, another fan’s Indian flag is seen being taken away by the group. Although the exact stadium remains unidentified, online discussions suggest that this incident occurred at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore during the Australia vs. England match in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Numerous social media users have noted that a fan was holding an Indian flag. However, the viral footage features a different man displaying the flag.
The video also shows flags of Australia and England, adding weight to the theory that the incident happened during that match. NDTV has yet to verify the video’s authenticity or confirm if it is from the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. This report will be updated pending any official statements.
If the claims are accurate, the incident took place just one day before the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan match.
A man got arrested in Lahore Stadium for having Indian Flag 🇮🇳 #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/0MVikl2YJr
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) February 25, 2025
A man arrested and beaten in Lahore stadium for having Indian Flag 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/TBFg8nlHa3
— Riseup Pant (@riseup_pant17) February 24, 2025
A young cricket fan of the Indian cricket team arrested from #Pakistan cricket stadium for carrying the flag of India and Virat Kohli posters #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/5RthDQTYLO
— Pawan Durani (@PawanDurani) February 24, 2025
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is addressing a security lapse that happened when a spectator breached the field during the New Zealand-Bangladesh match at the ICC Champions Trophy held at Rawalpindi Stadium.
The PCB stated that the safety of players and officials is their highest priority.
“As a responsible organization, we have partnered with local security agencies, who have pledged to enhance security personnel around the playing field at all venues while strengthening access control measures,” the statement noted.
The individual responsible was arrested and brought before a court on Tuesday, and he has been permanently banned from all cricket venues in Pakistan.
To avert such incidents in the future, the PCB is collaborating with security agencies and venue authorities to evaluate and strengthen security protocols.
Prior to the Champions Trophy, a significant topic of discussion was the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s decision against allowing Team India to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. This sparked a large controversy involving the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other teams, ultimately leading to the decision that India would play all its matches at a neutral venue (Dubai). Consequently, even the India-Pakistan match was held in Dubai despite Pakistan serving as the official host of the tournament.
Pakistan’s role as the host for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been critically examined even before the tournament began. Not only is this the first major ICC event hosted by Pakistan since 1996, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also faced substantial delays in completing stadium renovations.
On the field, Pakistan has already been eliminated from the tournament, despite having one match left. They suffered a six-wicket defeat against India on Sunday, with Virat Kohli scoring his 51st ODI century.
Pakistan will play against Bangladesh in a non-critical Group A match in Rawalpindi on February 27.
With PTI inputs
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