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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over \u201cinappropriate conduct\u201d directed at the national squad during the Pakistan-India World Cup match in Ahmedabad last week.<\/p>\n
India steamrolled<\/a> Pakistan by seven wickets in the Oct 14 blockbuster match to maintain their unblemished 50-overs World Cup record against their neighbours.<\/p>\n The national team was bowled out for 191 in the 43rd over after their batting line-up collapsed in characteristic fashion in the face of Indian bowlers.<\/p>\n To make it even more intimidating for the players, chants by the stadium announcer and the spectators were only to buck up India. So was the case with the music being played at the cauldron-like venue.<\/p>\n When the Men in Green made their way onto the field, a chorus of boos was directed at the team, notably while skipper Babar Azam was speaking at the toss.<\/p>\n Similarly, a widely circulated video showed Indian fans aggressively chanting \u2018Jai Shri Ram\u2019 in Mohammad Rizwan\u2019s face as he walked back to the pavilion after his dismissal.<\/p>\n Pakistan fans were effectively banned from the ground after failing to secure visas<\/a> to cross the border, leaving the arena awash with the blue shirts of Indian supporters.<\/p>\n In the post-match press conference, coach Mickey Arthur did not hold himself<\/a> from being \u201cbrutally honest\u201d about what he felt was a partisan atmosphere.<\/p>\n \u201cIt didn\u2019t seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest,\u201d Arthur had said. \u201cIt seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event,\u201d he had added.<\/p>\n In response to the criticism, the ICC head said<\/a> a day earlier that he was confident that India would host an \u201coutstanding\u201d World Cup.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> issued today, the PCB said it had filed a complaint with the sport\u2019s governing body regarding the inappropriate treatment of the players during the match.<\/p>\n The board said that it had also registered a \u201cformal protest\u201d with the ICC regarding visa delays for Pakistani journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistani fans for the 50-over showpiece.<\/p>\n After several delays and repeated concerns by the PCB, Pakistan journalists finally got visas<\/a> to cover the World Cup last week.<\/p>\n However, fans have been kept in the dark, with reportedly no correspondence whatsoever having taken place between visa application centres and the Indian High Commission regarding their process.<\/p>\n Earlier, the PCB had also approached<\/a> the Foreign Secretary and raised concerns over delay in visas for Pakistani fans willing to travel to India for the World Cup.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n