PCB rubbishes rumours of cricket team's 'curfew violation' a day before India clash

Published June 17, 2019
Videos and photographs of certain members of the Pakistan cricket team allegedly socialising past curfew a day before the match with India went viral on social media. ─ AP/File
Videos and photographs of certain members of the Pakistan cricket team allegedly socialising past curfew a day before the match with India went viral on social media. ─ AP/File

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday rubbished rumours that the national cricket team had violated their curfew the day before a crucial high-pressure World Cup fixture against India.

The Indian cricket team's clinical destruction of Pakistan's game on Sunday night raised many questions about the Greenshirts' performance and the structure of cricket in the country.

Many commentators were quick to criticise the team for its lack of fitness and the apparent flouting of the curfew to fix blame for its lacklustre performance, especially after a series of photos and videos showing certain members of the team allegedly socialising past curfew went viral online.

Read more: Sarfaraz Ahmed's winning moment was a yawn

"The cricketers did not violate their curfew," a PCB spokesperson told DawnNewsTV.

"The videos and photographs that went viral [on social media] are from two days before the match," the spokesperson said.

"The day before the match against India, all the players were in their hotel rooms by curfew time," he added.

Explore: 5 talking points from the Pakistan vs India World Cup battle

Professional tennis player Sania Mirza, who was photographed along with cricketer husband Shoaib Malik, also responded to the allegations, saying: "[The] 'outing' was dinner, and yes, people are allowed to eat if they lose a match!"

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