A major blunder unfolded at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the Champions Trophy clash between Australia and England on Saturday as the Indian national anthem was mistakenly played instead of Australia’s.

The mix-up caught players and spectators off guard before officials intervened to correct the error, eventually playing the correct anthem, “Advance Australia Fair.” The incident added to a series of organisational missteps that have plagued the International Cricket Council’s flagship tournament.

India are not playing any of their Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, having refused to travel due to political tensions. As a result, a hybrid model was adopted, with all of India’s fixtures taking place in Dubai.

This made the anthem mix-up in Lahore all the more baffling, given that there was no direct Indian involvement in the match between the two Ashes rivals.

The playing of national anthems is a customary pre-match ritual in ICC events, taking place after the toss as teams line up before the start of play.

Such mistakes are rare in international tournaments, making Saturday’s blunder even more embarrassing for the organisers.

This is not the first time the ICC has been under scrutiny for organisational errors during the ongoing Champions Trophy.

Earlier in the tournament, controversy erupted when the Indian flag was missing from Karachi’s National Stadium while the flags of other competing nations were displayed. The Pakistan Cricket Board was forced to clarify the omission after facing backlash.

Another controversy emerged during India’s group-stage clash against Bangladesh when the official Champions Trophy broadcast branding did not feature the word “Pakistan.”

While other matches displayed the full tournament title, “Champions Trophy 2025 Pakistan,” visuals from the India vs Bangladesh game only showed “Champions Trophy 2025.”

The PCB formally complained to the ICC, which later attributed the omission to a technical glitch by the UK-based production company Sunset & Vine.

The governing body assured Pakistan that the issue would not be repeated, and subsequent matches, including England vs Australia, featured the full branding.

The Champions Trophy had already faced delays and uncertainty before its commencement. The tournament schedule was announced later than usual due to India’s reluctance to travel to Pakistan.

The PCB initially resisted the hybrid model before finally agreeing to it in December 2024, following discussions led by ICC Chairman Jay Shah. Under this arrangement, India’s matches were relocated to Dubai, while Pakistan retained the hosting rights for other fixtures.

The hybrid hosting model is set to continue for upcoming ICC events, including the Women’s ODI World Cup in India in 2025 and the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026.

However, Saturday’s anthem mishap in Lahore raises fresh concerns about the ICC’s handling of high-profile tournaments and its ability to maintain smooth operations.