Viral Photo of Ex-PM Manmohan Singh With Pak Cricket Team Is From 2011 World Cup, Not Shortly After 26/11 Mumbai Attacks

An image, claiming to show former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with the then ICC chairman Sharad Pawar, meeting the Pakistan’s cricket team in India shortly after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, is being widely shared online.

“Congress’s spoons, don’t teach patriotism to Modi devotees, keep your knowledge to yourself,” read one such post, sharing the photograph. The posts have gone viral following criticism aimed at the PM Narendra Modi-led Central government for allowing India to play the Asia Cup cricket match with Pakistan on Sunday, amid tensions between the two countries after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

However, a fact-check reveals the photo is actually from the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali.

Evidence

1. Jersey Logo Confirms Year

The logo on Shahid Afridi’s jersey clearly reads “2011”, ruling out the possibility that the image was from 2008 or just months after the 26/11 terror attacks.

2. Official Records of the Event

A reverse image search led us to a Wikimedia Commons post that identified the photo as being taken on March 30, 2011. The caption states: “The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Yousuf Raza Gilani interacting with the Pakistani Cricket Team at the Indo-Pak World Cup semi-final, at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium, in Mohali.”

The image is also archived on the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) website, dated March 30, 2011. Also, a Times Now report (March 31, 2011) documented the leaders’ presence and interaction with players, while an ESPNCricinfo match scorecard confirms the semi-final took place on March 30, 2011, which India won by 29 runs.

4. Context After 26/11

Following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, India suspended its planned Pakistan tour in 2009. Reports, seen here and here, confirm this cancellation, further disproving the claim that India hosted Pakistan “shortly after 26/11.”

Verdict

The viral claim is misleading. The photo of Manmohan Singh with the Pakistan cricket team is from the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali, not shortly after the 26/11 terror attacks.

FAQs

Q1. Does the viral photo show Manmohan Singh meeting Pakistan’s cricket team after 26/11?
The photo was taken in March 2011 during the India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final in Mohali.

Q2. Who appears in the viral image?
The image shows then PM Manmohan Singh, Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, and ICC chairman Sharad Pawar meeting the Pakistan team.

Q3. How do we know the image is from 2011?
The jersey logo reads “2011,” and the same photo is archived on the PMO website dated March 30, 2011.

Q4. What was the occasion of the meeting?
It took place at the India vs Pakistan World Cup semi-final on March 30, 2011, in Mohali.

Sources
Wikimedia Commons, March 30, 2011 photo archive
PMO India archives, March 30, 2011
Times Now report, March 31, 2011
ESPN Cricinfo Scorecard, March 30, 2011
CNN report, December 18, 2008
The Guardian report, December 18, 2008