PCB releases “complete” CWC promotional video ft PTI chief after severe backlash

ISLAMABAD: Following significant backlash, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement late Wednesday night releasing what it termed the “complete version of the video” for the promotional campaign of the Cricket World Cup 2023.

The updated video has been uploaded on the microblogging platform X and showcases the iconic 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan holding the coveted trophy, alongside additional footage of his crucial performance in the final match.

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 ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Rz2OBDyI9i

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 16, 2023

The cricket board acknowledged that the earlier video, now removed, had been “abridged” due to its extended duration.

“The PCB has initiated a promotional drive in anticipation of Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2023. On August 14, 2023, one of the videos was published. Given its length, the video underwent truncation, inadvertently omitting significant segments,” the PCB clarified.

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Despite featuring segments from the 1992 World Cup, the initial version lacked Khan’s presence.

As per the media reports, the PCB said that the mistake has been rectified by presenting the comprehensive rendition of the video, including no less than four segments highlighting the former premier’s contributions.

The revised footage also included noteworthy moments like Misbah-ul-Haq’s Test mace victory, the women’s team triumph at the Asian Games, and Nida Dar’s achievement of 100 wickets.

Earlier, the “now-deleted video” that was made public on August 14 incorporated 11 snapshots from the archives of the 1992 World Cup, though none showcased the World Cup-winning captain Khan.

However, the video was promptly criticised by fans who attributed the omission to the PCB’s alignment with the nation’s ruling coalition’s “political agenda”.

Meanwhile, the former captain and revered fast bowler Wasim Akram, who played under Khan’s captaincy and regarded him as a mentor, strongly criticised the PCB. He demanded the immediate removal of the video along with an official apology.

After long flights and hours of transit before reaching Sri Lanka, I got the shock of my life when I watched PCB’s short clip on the history of Pakistan cricket minus the great Imran Khan… political differences apart but Imran Khan is an icon of world cricket and developed…

— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) August 16, 2023

On the other hand, the popular Pakistan cricket historian and journalist Osman Samiuddin commented on the video saying that it must have entailed “considerable effort” to produce a compilation that excluded the “preeminent Pakistani cricketer of all time.”

British broadcaster and writer Peter Oborne also termed the attempt to “airbrushing” Khan from the histroy of Pakistan cricket history, drawing a comparison to “Stalinist” practices.