The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been put under the scanner following a major security failure in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Rawalpindi. A spectator had invaded the pitch and attempted to hug New Zealand's young batting sensation, Rachin Ravindra. This incident has cast serious doubts over whether Pakistan can organize international tournaments safely. Intruder Arrested and Banned from Cricket Venues The intruder was immediately apprehended and then presented in court. The PCB has since acted sternly, declaring the individual barred for life from any cricket facilities in Pakistan. Reports are that the pitch invader had in his possession a photo of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leader Saad Rizvi. This only added to the controversey. Pitch invader attacked Rachin Ravindra. He was holding a poster of radical extremist leader.Pakistan agency on alert for a terror plot against players and fans pic.twitter.com/57kGjmDaHc — Riseup Pant (@riseup_pant17) February 25, 2025 Also Read | Watch: PCB Builds Moat to Stop Pitch Invaders in Lahore This was Pakistan's first hosting of a major ICC event in 29 years, and the security breach was therefore all the more surprising. In response to this, the PCB issued a statement promising more stringent security procedures to prevent such a recurrence in the future. The board is now working closely with the authorities to step up security procedures. In a statement, the PCB said: "The PCB has taken serious note of the security breach that occurred yesterday when a spectator entered the field of play. Ensuring the safety of players and officials remains our top priority. As a responsible organisation, we have engaged with local security agencies, who have committed to increasing security personnel around the field of play at all venues and strengthening access control measures." The statement read: "The individual involved was arrested and presented before a court of law today (Tuesday). In addition, he has been permanently banned from entering all cricket venues in Pakistan. To prevent such incidents in the future, the PCB is working closely with security agencies and venue authorities to review and reinforce security protocols." Also Read | Watch: Wasim Akram Slams Pakistan Players for Eating Bananas Rachin Takes NZ to Victory Despite Security Blunder Rachin Ravindra, himself a survivor of a bad head injury in the past when he was playing in a tri-series in Pakistan, was taken aback by the intrusion. He had been focused on his innings when the intruder suddenly ran onto the field and hugged him, which caused discomfort with him in view of his past experience with issues of injury. Despite of this incident, Rachin Ravindra went on to score a phenomenal century in his first-ever Champions Trophy game. New Zealand won the game convincingly to secure a place in the semi-finals together with India in Group A. The Kiwis will now face India in the semi-final match on March 2 in Dubai. With this serious security breach, the PCB is now under great pressure to make sure that future matches in the tournament continue without any further hiccups.