Pakistan Cricket Board has posted yet another video ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup after facing backlash over promotional videos celebrating their World Cup win. PCB had posted a promotional video which omitted their World Cup winning captain and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
PCB has posted a video which recaps Pakistan’s journey in Cricket World Cups since the 1975 edition, celebrating their captains, top-scorers and leading wicket-takers.
On August 14, PCB had released a promotional video for the upcoming Cricket World Cup, which faced severe backlash due to its omission of Imran Khan. The initial video was cut short due to its length, inadvertently leaving out those important segments.
The cricketing board received severe backlash, with fans criticizing PCB for aligning with the nation’s ruling coalition’s “political agenda”. Former Pakistan skipper and legendary pacer Wasim Akram demanded the immediate removal of the video and an official apology.
“After long flights and hours of transit before reaching Sri Lanka, I got the shock of my life when I watched PCB’s short clip on the history of Pakistan cricket minus the great Imran Khan. Political differences apart, but Imran Khan is an icon of world cricket and developed Pakistan into a strong unit in his time and gave us a pathway. PCB should delete the video and apologise,” Akram posted on his Twitter account.
Following Akram’s criticism, PCB removed the video and posted a new one on August 16. This updated version included parts that highlighted Khan’s contributions, including him holding the coveted trophy and footage of his crucial performance in the final match. However, the new video had no mention of Akram, with onlookers saying this could be because he called out the board online.
Pakistan will kick-start their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 4, before taking on Sri Lanka at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 10.
