The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over “inappropriate conduct” directed at the national squad during the Pakistan-India World Cup match in Ahmedabad last week.

India steamrolled Pakistan by seven wickets in the Oct 14 blockbuster match to maintain their unblemished 50-overs World Cup record against their neighbours.

The national team was bowled out for 191 in the 43rd over after their batting line-up collapsed in characteristic fashion in the face of Indian bowlers.

To make it even more intimidating for the players, chants by the stadium announcer and the spectators were only to buck up India. So was the case with the music being played at the cauldron-like venue.

When the Men in Green made their way onto the field, a chorus of boos was directed at the team, notably while skipper Babar Azam was speaking at the toss.

Similarly, a widely circulated video showed Indian fans aggressively chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Mohammad Rizwan’s face as he walked back to the pavilion after his dismissal.

Pakistan fans were effectively banned from the ground after failing to secure visas to cross the border, leaving the arena awash with the blue shirts of Indian supporters.

In the post-match press conference, coach Mickey Arthur did not hold himself from being “brutally honest” about what he felt was a partisan atmosphere.

“It didn’t seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest,” Arthur had said. “It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event,” he had added.

In response to the criticism, the ICC head said a day earlier that he was confident that India would host an “outstanding” World Cup.

In a statement issued today, the PCB said it had filed a complaint with the sport’s governing body regarding the inappropriate treatment of the players during the match.

The board said that it had also registered a “formal protest” with the ICC regarding visa delays for Pakistani journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistani fans for the 50-over showpiece.

After several delays and repeated concerns by the PCB, Pakistan journalists finally got visas to cover the World Cup last week.

However, fans have been kept in the dark, with reportedly no correspondence whatsoever having taken place between visa application centres and the Indian High Commission regarding their process.

Earlier, the PCB had also approached the Foreign Secretary and raised concerns over delay in visas for Pakistani fans willing to travel to India for the World Cup.