Pakistan is gearing up to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, showcasing its newly renovated stadiums to welcome cricket fans from around the globe. Significant investments have been made in renovating these venues, including the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Rumors have emerged on social media regarding fan altercations and damage to the stadium during matches. This article aims to unravel the truth behind these claims while highlighting the excitement surrounding the upcoming tournament.
Claims Circulating from Viral Videos
On February 10, a match between South Africa and New Zealand was held in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, following Pakistan’s game against New Zealand on February 8. Shortly after these matches, a video began trending on social media, showing fans allegedly uprooting seats in the stadium. The caption associated with the video referred to it as “New Stadium Lahore, Pakistan.”
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The Truth Behind the Viral Video
While the viral video suggests that fans at Gaddafi Stadium misbehaved by uprooting chairs, this claim is inaccurate. The footage originates from a match between Afghanistan and Pakistan held in Sharjah during the Asia Cup in 2022. During the Super Four match, Pakistan emerged victorious against Afghanistan by one wicket. However, this led to a heated altercation among fans, where Afghan supporters attacked Pakistani fans and threw chairs. Additional videos from that day show Afghan fans chasing and assaulting Pakistanis on the streets.
Pakistani cricket fans beaten to a pulp by Afghan cricket fans triggered by Pakistani batsman Asif Ali’s attempt to physically assault Afghan bowler Fareed Ahmad who took his wicket during the #PAKvAFG Asia Cup match. pic.twitter.com/A3tt45Xwzm
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) September 7, 2022
New Zealand Advances to the Tri-Series Final
In the Tri-Series, New Zealand has already secured its place in the finals after defeating Pakistan by 78 runs in the first match, and later overcoming South Africa by 6 wickets in the second match. The next match on February 12 is set to feature Pakistan against South Africa, with the eventual winner facing New Zealand in the final on February 14.