Following the crowd unrest caused by “thousands of ticketless fans” during the T20 World Cup clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to undertake a thorough investigation into the incidents.
In a statement, the ICC said that more than 16,000 tickets had been issued for the match between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, thousands of ticketless fans travelled to the venue and then attempted to force entry into the stadium.
Apologising to the fans who were unable to enter the stadium despite having valid tickets, the ICC advised them to contact the ticket provider.
“The ICC, BCCI and ECB apologise to any fans with valid tickets who were unable to enter the stadium tonight and request they contact the ticket provider,” read the statement.
The ICC said that it will work closely with authorities to ensure there is no repeat of this situation in the future.
Praising the law enforcers, the ICC said that the Dubai Police and security staff secured the stadium to ensure the safety of everyone inside and brought in significant additional resources to disperse the crowd and calm the situation.
On Friday, the Dubai police, at approximately 7pm, had closed the stadium’s gates to maintain a safe and peaceful environment inside the venue.
