The lack of the Indian flag at Karachi’s National Stadium has generated a lot of controversy on social media in the run-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which Pakistan, starting February 19, is scheduled to host. The issue started when a video appeared showing the flags of several participating countries at the stadium, conspicuously lacking the Indian flag. This resulted in conjecture and criticism aimed at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with many suspecting the board of delivering a political message in reprisal to India’s unwillingness to play in Pakistan due to continuing political tensions and security issues.
The PCB quickly addressed the matter, clarifying the circumstances and ending the debate while the social media buzzed with comments on the missing India flag. According to IANS, a PCB source said the stadium flags are those of the nations scheduled to play in Pakistan for the upcoming event. “India will be playing their matches in Dubai; they will not be arriving in Pakistan to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. According to the source, the corresponding stadiums only display the flags of the teams scheduled to play in Pakistan.
Emphasizing that the choice was not politically driven, the insider continued to say that the lack of the Indian flag at the stadiums is just a result of practical considerations. Well-documented is India’s refusal to participate in Pakistan; the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) notes security issues and the continuous political strain between the two nations. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has thus put in place a hybrid arrangement for the event whereby India may host group-stage events in Dubai while the other teams will be in Pakistan.
In addition to the absence of India’s flag, the stadiums were also devoid of the flags of Bangladesh and several other participating nations. The PCB explained that Bangladesh’s squad will be playing their inaugural game against India in Dubai; they had not yet arrived in Pakistan. Therefore, they had not yet raised the Bangladeshi flag. “The flags of countries whose teams are already here in Pakistan, ready to play their matches, have been hoisted; those whose teams are yet to arrive have not had their flags raised,” the PCB source clarified.
The PCB underlined that there is no need for an official declaration on the topic, although the debate is acquiring momentum on social media. The PCB source adds that the debate about the flags resulted from false information, with certain social media users disseminating unfounded allegations meant to sow uncertainty and tarnish Pakistan’s reputation. Fake news is driving a distortion of the situation. The flags being erected are merely a kind gesture for the teams visiting Pakistan for the event, the source said.
The PCB further noted that banners displaying the captains of all the competing teams, including India, had been hung in places all throughout Pakistan, including Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. These posters are part of a campaign to highlight Pakistan’s hospitality and to make sure political tensions do not hinder the success of a significant ICC event being hosted there.
The Champions Trophy 2025 is important since it represents the comeback of the elite event following an eight-year break. Having emerged from the last tournament in 2017, Pakistan is the defending champion. Since co-hosting the 1996 Cricket World Cup, this event also offers Pakistan’s first chance to host an ICC event. The PCB wants the tournament to succeed and wants to make sure the flag debate doesn’t overshadow the tournament’s importance and the warm welcome given to all competing teams.