PCB STOOPS to New Low; No Indian Flag in Gaddafi Stadium Sparks Controversy Ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025

In what could be labelled as a jealous move, the Pakistan Cricket Board did not have the Indian flag in Lahore's Gaddafi stadium ahead of ICC CT 2025. There are eight participating teams in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Team India is one of the participating teams and hence it was expected that their flag, like the flag of the other seven countries would be there - but, it wasn't and that has sparked a fresh controversy. Not just the Gddafi stadium, even at the National stadium in Karachi, the Indian flag was removed. 

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REASON FOR THE MOVE

It is being speculated that it was Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) response to Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to not set the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy after they did not get clearance for their government. Eventually, the PCB had to agree to the hybrid model according to which India will play all it's CT 2025 matches at the Dubai International Stadium (DIS) in Dubai. 

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Champions Trophy 2025

We are just two days away from the start of the much-awaited CT 2025. The curtain-raiser would be played between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. The Men in Green then play the big one against arch-rivals India on February 23 at the DIS. That is expected to be a full-house. Market experts believe the India versus Pakistan game will break all viewership records. Both India and Pakistan would be favourites to win the title. For the unversed, Pakistan are the defending champions.