ICC Anthem Blunder Sparks Controversy During Australia vs. England Match

LAHORE, Pakistan — The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sought clarification from the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a significant mix-up during the Champions Trophy match between Australia and England at the Gaddafi Stadium on February 23, 2025. Instead of playing Australia’s national anthem, ‘Advance Australia Fair,’ the Indian anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana,’ was mistakenly played for a brief moment before the match.

The incident occurred shortly after the UK anthem, ‘God Save the King,’ was performed without any issues. The error was quickly recognized and corrected, but it has raised questions about the ICC’s management of the event, particularly since India is not participating in any matches in Pakistan, opting to play all their games in Dubai due to security concerns.

A PCB official expressed their dissatisfaction with the oversight, stating to ESPNcricinfo, “This is an ICC tournament, and the anthem playlist is managed by them. We question why the Indian anthem was included in the first place.” The PCB’s inquiry comes on the heels of another incident during the tournament where Pakistan’s name was incorrectly omitted from the broadcast graphics during the India versus Bangladesh match in Dubai, prompting similar concerns from the PCB.

The ICC has attributed the recent anthem error to a technical glitch and is conducting an investigation with the third-party supplier responsible for the audio. “We are reviewing the situation to ensure that such incidents do not occur again,” an ICC spokesperson assured.

The Australia vs. England match drew a substantial crowd, and Australia emerged victorious, successfully chasing down England’s target of 351 runs with five wickets in hand, thanks to an impressive performance that featured a record chase.

The PCB’s grievances highlight ongoing tensions regarding India’s absence from the tournament. India has opted out of traveling to Pakistan, and their matches are conducted solely in Dubai. Their upcoming game against Pakistan is highly anticipated and deemed crucial for both teams, especially as Pakistan is defending their title and seeks to recover from a disappointing opening loss to New Zealand by 60 runs.

In the context of heightened scrutiny over the ICC’s preparations and decision-making, it remains to be seen how the governing body will address the issues raised by the PCB in the lead-up to the pivotal match between India and Pakistan.