The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) found itself in an awkward situation when the Indian National Anthem was mistakenly played before the start of the Australia vs England Champions Trophy 2025 match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The incident, which took place moments after England’s anthem, caught players, officials, and fans by surprise, creating a buzz on social media.

Unexpected Anthem Mishap at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium

As the Australian players lined up for their national anthem, the stadium speakers instead began playing “Jana Gana Mana”, India’s national anthem. The confusion lasted for a few seconds before officials quickly cut off the audio and rectified the error. However, the moment did not go unnoticed, and videos of the incident quickly went viral across social media platforms.

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their amusement, with many jokingly suggesting that Pakistan was missing India in the tournament despite India’s matches being hosted in the UAE due to security concerns.

PCB Demands Explanation from ICC

Following the embarrassing mishap, the PCB has placed the blame on the ICC and has formally requested an explanation for the error. According to sources, the PCB has sent a letter to the ICC demanding clarification.

“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,” a PCB source told PTI.

The incident has added to growing tensions between the PCB and the ICC, especially after an earlier controversy where India’s national flag was missing from the National Stadium in Karachi, leading to further scrutiny of Pakistan’s handling of the tournament.

Social Media Reactions to the Gaffe

The anthem mix-up triggered a wave of hilarious reactions from fans on both sides of the border. Some comments included:

• “Pakistan can’t host India, so they decided to play their anthem instead!”
• “Even in Pakistan, India’s presence is being felt.”
• “Someone at the PCB must be a closet Indian fan!”

Despite the lighthearted reactions, the incident has left PCB officials red-faced as they attempt to downplay the mistake ahead of the high-voltage India vs Pakistan clash in Dubai.

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