International Cricket Council apologizes to fans after Pakistan, Afghanistan T20 match

Fans of Afghanistan's and Pakistani teams arrive to watch the ICC mens Twenty20 World Cup cricket match between Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, UAE, on October 29, 2021. (AFP)

• Several cricket fans with valid tickets could not enter the stadium since Dubai police had to shut the gates for security reasons
• ICC said more than 16,000 tickets had been issued for the World Cup game

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday issued an apology to people with valid tickets for the Twenty20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan who could not enter the stadium due to the ticketless fans who tried to force their way in the venue.
According to the Associated Press, several “ticketless fans, mostly carrying Afghan flags, tried to enter the Dubai International Cricket Stadium,” forcing the police to close all the gates an hour after the game had started.
The ICC said in its statement that more than 16,000 tickets had been issued for the World Cup game, though not all of the fans who got them managed to enter the stadium since Dubai police and security staff secured the stadium “to maintain a safe and controlled environment inside the venue.”
“The ICC, BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] and ECB [Emirates Cricket Board] apologize to any fans with valid tickets who were unable to enter the stadium tonight and request they contact the ticket provider,” said the statement.
Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi also urged his country’s fans to “please buy tickets” after the game instead of forcing their way into stadiums.
The ICC also asked the Emirates Cricket Board to investigate the incident to see if any lessons could be learned and similar situations avoided in future.