Video shows power cut at cricket final in New Zealand, not Pakistan

Published on April 17, 2025 at 03:44
3 min read
By Sachin BAGHEL, AFP India

A video of a power outage during a cricket final between Pakistan and New Zealand has spread online alongside false claims that it occurred in the South Asian nation, which has been grappling with a years-long electricity crisis. The match took place in New Zealand and the blackout was caused by a mechanical failure.

"Sudden Power Cut in Pakistan during Pak Vs NZ match", reads part of an X post published April 6, 2025.

A commentator in the video says: "Oh my goodness, the couldn't have cut out at a worse time... This game has got it all, even the lights have given up on it."

Screenshot of the false post taken April 12, 2025

The same video spread on Facebook and X alongside similar claims.

Pakistan has long grappled with an energy supply crisis exacerbated by political instability and economic stagnation (archived link). Increased pressure on the electricity grid during peak winter and summer seasons often leads to planned load-shedding.

In January, hundreds of people blocked a highway in Pakistan's mountainous northern region to protest power cuts lasting longer than 20 hours as temperatures plunged to minus 15 degrees Celsius.

However, the circulating video was shot during a match held April 5 in New Zealand, not Pakistan (archived link).

Google reverse image searches using keyframes from the video led to a longer version published April 6 on the official TikTok channel of New Zealand streaming service platform TVNZ+ (archived link).

The platform's owner, TVNZ, is the official broadcast partner for all home matches of the New Zealand cricket team (archived link).

"Lights out at Bay Oval. A dramatic end to the 2024-25 home season at The Mount during the BLACKCAPS v Pakistan 3rd ODI," reads the caption, referring to a nickname for the New Zealand men's team (archived link).

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (L) and the TVNZ+ TikTok video

New Zealand's Bay Oval cricket stadium is located in the country's northern Mount Maunganui area (archived link).

Photos of the stadium on Google Maps confirm the circulating video was shot there (archived link).

Screenshot of the TikTok video (L) and the geotagged photo of Bay Oval on Google Maps, with elements highlighted by AFP

Public broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported on the power outage, noting that the country's team said a mechanical failure was to blame for the blackout that lasted nearly two minutes (archived link).

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