Indian fans demand Champions Trophy relocation to Pakistan after empty Dubai stadium
During the Champions Trophy match between India and Bangladesh, held in Dubai, Indian fans expressed their displeasure with the International Cricket Council (ICC) by demanding that the entire event be shifted to Pakistan.
As the game unfolded, social media users began criticizing the lack of attendance and raised concerns about the future of the One-Day International (ODI) format. Many suggested that the empty stands indicated a lack of serious interest in the Champions Trophy.
One user took to social media to propose that ICC events should no longer be held in venues like Dubai and the West Indies, but instead only in countries like India, South Africa, England, Australia, and New Zealand, where cricket has a larger fan base.
Another user expressed regret over the empty stadium in Dubai and called for the tournament to be relocated entirely to Pakistan, emphasizing that there is still time for such a change.
Some fans even went as far as to label the ODI format as outdated, suggesting that following the current edition of the Champions Trophy, the tournament should be discontinued. They recommended shifting to the T20 format, or if ODIs must continue, reducing the game to 40 overs.
On Thursday, Lalit Modi, the first chairman of the Indian Premier League, also express his concerns, calling out the emptiness of the stands and questioning whether the One-Day format was losing relevance with fans.
Modi posted on X, "Watching the @ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between #India and #Bangladesh. Stands are empty. That would not happen at an #IPL game. Is the one-day format becoming irrelevant to the fans? What's your view? Should one-day cricket be scrapped and more Test cricket?'
It is important to note that Pakistan is set to host the Champions Trophy in 2025, while India is playing all of its matches in Dubai for this year's edition.
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