‘When India Is Not Playing…’- PCB Accuses ICC After Indian Anthem Played During AUS vs ENG Match

The unexpected playing of the Indian national anthem during the England vs. Australia match has been taken seriously by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Notably, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has received an official letter from the Pakistan Cricket Board asking for an explanation.

The Indian national anthem was inadvertently played by the DJ for a few seconds at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore during the national anthem ceremony of the match on Saturday, February 22. Before the fourth match began, both national cricket teams stood for their respective anthems, as is customary.

During the national anthem ceremony, a section of Jana Gana Mana, the Indian national hymn, was played. About two seconds passed during the confusion before administrators realized their mistake and halted the playback. The players were confused by the sudden error, and the audience roared.

Here is the video:

In the match between England and Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, when Australia's national anthem was to be played, India's national anthem was played instead .
I love india 😍#ChampionsTrophy2025 #ENGvsAUS #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/LZvttKXYCX

— Bethi Majumdar (@BethiMajum93943) February 23, 2025

In the most recent match, the Australian team, captained by Steve Smith, won by five wickets. They opened their total in the points table by successfully chasing a target of 352 runs. Josh Inglis won "Player of the Match" after scoring 120 runs off 86 deliveries, including eight boundaries and six maximums.

PCB Blames ICC After Indian National Anthem Plays in Lahore

The PCB has reportedly filed a complaint against the unintentional playing of the Indian national anthem. The ICC is in charge of overseeing the national anthem playlist for participating teams, the PCB underlined.

"The PCB has made it clear that the ICC needs to offer some explanation as their people are responsible for the (national anthem) playlist of teams in the Champions Trophy. Since India is not playing in Pakistan, it is hard to understand how their anthem was played by mistake from the playlist," the source said, as quoted by The Hindu.

Prior to India's match against Bangladesh in Dubai, the PCB had complained to the ICC about the absence of its name and logo from television screens. The ICC responded by admitting the mistake and promising the PCB that Pakistan's name would be shown accurately in all upcoming matches played in Dubai.

India refused to play in Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Notably, India decided against going to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy because of security concerns. India will play all of their matches in Dubai as part of a hybrid approach for the event. The much-anticipated match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for Sunday, February 23.

The team captained by Rohit Sharma defeated Bangladesh by six wickets to start the season. They will be keen to exact retribution after losing to Pakistan by 180 runs in the 2017 London final. The Men in Blue won the final ODI between the two nations, which took place during the 2023 World Cup.

Also Read: Australia Creates History vs England In Champions Trophy 2025; Becomes First Team To Do This