ICC apologises for shortened South African anthem

The International Cricket Council has apologised to South Africa after a scratchy recording of the country's national anthem stopped abruptly during the pre-match formalities at the World Cup Group B match against West Indies on Thursday.

The ICC said a technical fault caused the anthem to end halfway through at New Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

The ICC also said it realized the anthem recording was "of a poor quality" and will ensure "a better quality version is used for all matches going forward."

South African players continued to sing without music after the recording suddenly stopped.

The New Delhi ground hasn't hosted an international match since late 2009, when an ODI was abandoned for an unplayable pitch.