Claim: A video shows the crowd at the National Stadium in Karachi chanting “Qaidi Number 804” when batsman Babar Azam appeared to speak.
Fact: The crowd did not chant “Qaidi Number 804” when the batsman appeared to speak. The audio in the clip is altered.
Following the inauguration ceremony of the renovated National Stadium in Karachi, a video (archive) has been circulating on social media with the caption: “کراچی نیشنل اسٹیڈیم میں قیدی نمبر 804 کے چرچے اور بابر کی مسکراہٹ”
National Stadium Karachi inauguration
On 11 February 2025, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the renovated National Stadium Karachi, also known as the National Bank Cricket Arena. According to The Nation, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and other officials attended the event. The renovations were completed ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Dunya News reported that entry to the event was free for spectators upon presenting their ID cards. The opening ceremony featured musical performances by Ali Zafar, Shafqat Amanat Ali, and Sahir Ali Bagga, along with a fireworks display to entertain the audience, the report added.
Fact or Fiction?
The video appeared suspicious as it featured a CapCut watermark, indicating it had been edited with the application. CapCut allows users to trim, merge, and enhance videos by adding text, filters, effects, and watermarks. Additionally, in the viral clip, the crowd’s chants are noticeably louder than the host and Babar Azam, drowning out their voices, which is an unlikely scenario in a live broadcast.
Therefore, we reverse-searched keyframes of the video to trace the original footage. We found the complete footage shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s official YouTube account. Titled “Live – Grand Inauguration of the New-Look National Bank Stadium, Karachi,”, it was streamed on 11 February 2025, and covers the full ceremony.
At 10:08, the Pakistan cricket team’s captain hands the mic to Babar Azam. This is the moment that appears in the viral clip. While the crowd’s noise is present in the background, the host and Azam remain clearly audible, and no “Qaidi Number 804” chants can be heard.
At 10:40, the crowd can be heard chanting, “Babar Babar!” Azam continues speaking until the 11:32 mark of the video, but at no point do we hear “Qaidi Number 804.”
According to Soch Videos’ audio engineer Shaur Azher, this is a clear case of audio replacement and manipulation. He explained that in a broadcast setting, headsets like the Sennheiser HMD 26 or close-range dynamic mics, such as the Electro-Voice RE20 or Shure SM7B, are typically used. These mics are designed to capture nearby voices while minimising background noise. Azher further stated that it’s almost impossible to separate distant voices in a stadium environment without advanced editing.
We also did not find any credible news reports that crowds chanted “Qaidi number 804” during Azam’s speech at the inauguration of the National Stadium in Karachi. However, several news and sports outlets reported that the batsman received an enthusiastic welcome from fans as he took the podium, waiting for the cheers to subside before he expressed his gratitude and urged support for the team. He also voiced frustration over low match attendance in Karachi, encouraging fans to show up as they did for the ceremony, according to The Express Tribune.
Virality
The claim was shared here, here, and here on Facebook. Archived here, here, and here.
On YouTube, it was shared here.
Conclusion: The crowd did not chant Qaidi number 804 during Babar Azam’s speech at the inauguration of the National Bank Stadium in Karachi. The audio in the clip has been manipulated.
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Background image in cover photo: Cricfit
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