ICC apologises to fans after Pakistan, Afghanistan match

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has apolgised to fans, who were unable to enter the stadium despite having the tickets, after the conclusion of the match between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Dubai.

According to details, many fans, with majority supporting Afghanistan team, came to the stadium without tickets and forced entry into the venue.  

“More than 16,000 tickets had been issued for tonight’s game between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, thousands of ticketless fans traveled to the venue and then attempted to force entry into the stadium,” the ICC said in a statement.

“Dubai Police and security staff secured the stadium to ensure the safety of everyone inside and brought in significant additional resources to disperse the crowd and calm the situation,” the statement added. “At approximately 7pm, Dubai Police directed that all gates should remain closed and no further entry was permitted to maintain a safe and controlled environment inside the venue.”

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The ICC has also urged the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to carry out an investigation in this regard.

“The ICC has asked the ECB to undertake a thorough investigation into tonight’s events to learn any lessons and will work closely with authorities to ensure there is no repeat of this situation in the future. The ICC, BCCI and ECB apologise to any fans with valid tickets who were unable to enter the stadium tonight and request they contact the ticket provider,” the statement concluded.