The Pakistan Cricket Board commemorated the nation’s 76th Independence Day with a video tribute highlighting cricket legends and milestones, spanning from their debut in 1952 to the 2022 T20 World Cup. However, controversy arose as the omission of Imran Khan, a pivotal figure in Pakistan’s cricket history, sparked backlash, with allegations of political motivation. Responding swiftly, the PCB re-released the video, prominently featuring Imran Khan twice, particularly focusing on his contributions during the iconic 1992 World Cup victory. This move aimed to address the criticism and acknowledge his significance in the country’s cricketing narrative.
The video highlights Imran Khan’s importance by featuring a scene that is labeled as “Imran Khan with Pakistan’s unforgettable World Cup victory.” This scene shows the iconic moment of Pakistan’s triumph in the World Cup, with Imran leading the way. The PCB’s reason for not including Imran earlier was that the video had to be shortened due to its length.
“The PCB has launched a promotional campaign leading up to the CWC 2023. One of the videos was uploaded on 14th August 2023. Due to its length, the video was abridged and some important clips were missing. This has been rectified in the complete version of the video,” the PCB wrote. Watch the video below.
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Imran Khan, a cricketing legend and renowned former all-rounder, left an enduring impact on the sport. He had a distinguished international career spanning from 1971 to 1992, during which he achieved over 7,500 runs and took more than 500 wickets in both Test matches and One Day Internationals. Imran’s leadership was instrumental in guiding Pakistan to their historic World Cup victory in 1992.
The original video featuring Imran Khan has been removed from the PCB’s account on the social media platform X. The cricketer-turned-politician, who had been previously arrested, faced another apprehension earlier this month. An Islamabad court delivered a verdict on his case, sentencing the former Prime Minister of Pakistan to a three-year prison term and barring him from political involvement due to charges of “corrupt practices.”
Following the court’s ruling on the Toshakhana case, where he was accused of being involved in the sale of state gifts worth millions of rupees, law enforcement officials took the 70-year-old into custody at his residence. There was speculation that his omission from the video could potentially stem from political disagreements between him and the current Pakistani government.
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