'Didn't Hear Dil Dil Pakistan', Pakistan Coach Mickey Arthur Slams BCCI For Hosting One-Sided India Vs Pakistan Match In Ahmedabad

Mickey Arthur, who is Director of Cricket for Pakistan cricket team, was not very happy with how the IND vs PAK was organised at Narendra Modi Stadium and shared his thoughts on the same,

Mickey Arthur. (Source: X)

Mickey Arthur, who is part of the Pakistni coaching staff in this Cricket World Cup 2023, did not mince his words in the post-match press conference after the team's poor show vs India in Match 12. Pakistan lost to India by seven wickets at the Narendra Modi stadium as they were outplayed in all three departments of the match. Arthur said that he does not want to use it as an excuse but the organisers made it feel like a BCCI event. 

The team director of Pakistan said that the India vs Pakistan match did not feel like a World Cup but more like a one game of a bilateral series. "It did not seem like an ICC event tonight, let's be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series, it seemed like a BCCI event. I did not hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming through the microphones too often tonight. 

So yes, that does play a role, but I am 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 players tonight," said Arthur.

#INDvPAK | #DattKePakistani pic.twitter.com/f4cdQd22zF — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 14, 2023

The Narendra Modi stadium had just Indian fans filling all the seats as Pakistan fans from across the border had not arrived in India due to visa issues. In fact, there were reportedly just 3 Pakistans inside the stadium. The effect of the crowd could have had a psychological effect on the Pakistan team, who played very poor cricket throughout the match. 

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, India bundled out Pakistan  for just 191 in 42.5 overs. Apart from skipper Babar Azam, and a 49 from Mohammad Rizwan, no other Pakistani player could score big runs. Jasprit Bumrah was declared as the Player of the Match for his two crucial wickets in the middle phase of the Pakistan innings that led to collapse of the batting order. 

Pakistan went from being 155 for 2 at one stage to 191 all out, which sums up how good Indian bowling attack was, on Saturday. Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz scored 6,4,2,4. These single digit scores hurt Pakistan massively in the innings. 

Rohit Sharma was in beast mode when he came in to bat, smashing 86 off just 63 balls that included 6 sixes and fours each. Shreyas Iyer too got runs under the belt, scoring a gritty unbeaten 53 off 62 balls to guide the team home in just 30.3 overs.