After Afghanistan’s victory over England on Wednesday, the Champions Trophy 2025 once more suffered a pitch assault when a fan stormed onto the field. After Afghanistan’s dramatic Lahore win, a fan ran onto the field and embraced the players. The security officers though caught him and escorted him off field. As a fan ran into the field and tried to snatch New Zealand batsman Rachin Ravindra during the Monday match against Bangladesh, this was not the first time such an occurrence occurred during the competition. Media outlets said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reacted strongly to the security lapse.
“The PCB observed the security breach yesterday quite carefully when a viewer entered the field of play. On Tuesday the board pointed out in Dawn that guaranteeing the safety of players and referees is still our first objective.
The person in question was handcuffed today and shown before a court of law. Furthermore, he is permanently forbidden to enter all cricket grounds in Pakistan. The person under discussion have been apprehended and altogether denounced in a court of law today. Furthermore, he has been permanently prohibited from accessing any cricket grounds in Pakistan,” the statement noted.
Still, a similar event raised issues about the measures PCB took.
With a remarkable eight-run win on Wednesday, open Ibrahim Zadran and five wickets by Azmatullah Omarzai helped Afghanistan eliminate England from the Champions Trophy.
Posting 325-7 in a virtual knockout match in Lahore, Afghanistan then field England for 317 runs in 49.5 overs to survive in the competition for a semi-final place; England, however, have no hope of making the last four.
After their unexpected loss in the 2023 World Cup in India, England dropped normal wickets to drop their second straight ODI to the Afghans, making Joe Root&’s 120 in vain.
Needing 13 off the final six deliveries with one wicket in hand, fast bowler Omarzai stayed cool to concede only four runs and bowl out Adil Rashid.