Cricket World Cup 2023: ICC Take Note Of Pakistan Coach Mickey Arthur’s Comments After India Vs Pakistan Match

Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur had said that India vs Pakistan match in Ahmedabad on Saturday felt more like a 'BCCI event' rather than an 'ICC event'.

Babar Azam's Pakistan took on India in match no. 12 of World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad. (Photo: AP)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have taken note of Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur’s comments after his team’s loss to India in match no. 12 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Arthur felt that the World Cup 2023 felt more like a ‘bilateral series’ rather than an ICC event.

“Look, I’d be lying if I said it did. 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. 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,” Arthur had said in the post-match press conference.

ICC chairman Greg Barclay, when asked about Arthur’s remarks, appeared to minimize their significance, suggesting that such critiques are common in these tournaments. “Every event that we have, there’s always criticisms from various quarters,” Barclay was quoted as saying by news agency AFP in Mumbai, where he was attending the International Olympic Committee Session, which voted for T20 cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“Things that perhaps we’ll take away and try to work on, try to do better… so this event’s only (at_ the start. Let’s see how the whole thing plays out and we’ll go away and we’ll review what could change, what we can do better, how we can improve World Cups and the general offering around cricket. We will just take it as it plays out, get to the end of the event. I’m satisfied that it will still be an outstanding World Cup,” the ICC chairman added.

Wasim Akram and Moin Khan didn't like Pakistan Team Director Mickey Arthur's statement that It didn't seem like an ICC event.

Do you agree with them?pic.twitter.com/UW0qXqKE69 — Tanveer Hassan (@tanveercric56_) October 15, 2023

Despite the record-breaking viewership of the India vs Pakistan match, both onsite and worldwide, the organizers haven’t disclosed the exact attendance numbers. The cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, renowned for being the largest in terms of seating capacity, can accommodate over 110,000 spectators.

ESPNcricinfo website had reached out to the ICC and the BCCI, seeking clarifications on several matters, including the specifics of ticket sales for the high-profile match. The response to inquiries about the exact number of tickets available for sale are still pending. Initial plans indicated an exclusive window for purchasing India vs Pakistan tickets on September 3. Subsequently, on October 8, the BCCI declared an additional 14,000 tickets were available, and a few days later, another undisclosed quantity was released on social media platform ‘X’.

Aside from concerns over the online ticketing process, the tournament has so far experienced lower-than-expected attendance, with the exception of matches involving India or those taking place in Delhi.