Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is being strongly criticised for not sending a single representative to the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. As India won the title after beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final, the podium was shared by International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny and secretary Devajit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) director Roger Twose to present accolades to players, reports NDTV.
PCB chief operating officer Sumair Ahmed, also the tournament director of the Champions Trophy, was in Dubai but was not invited to the podium.
According to a report by Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net), PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not travel to Dubai due to his official commitment as the country's interior minister. Mohsin had conveyed to the ICC that he was busy in the joint parliament session in Islamabad, where President Asif Zardari was due to address the nation.
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar took to social media and said Pakistan not sending a single representative on a stage is "beyond his understanding".
“India has won the ICC Champions Trophy today but I noticed something strange. Pakistan were the hosts in the tournament but there were no Pakistan Cricket Board representatives here (at the trophy presentation). This is beyond my understanding. Why was there no one to represent us and give the trophy? Please think about it, it's a world stage but sadly I could not see any PCB members. Feeling very down to see that,” said Akhtar in a video posted on X.
Some former Pakistan players believe a wrong reflection will be conveyed to India that the PCB chairman did not attend the ceremony because India had reached the final and also became the ultimate winner.
The 2025 Champions Trophy was Pakistan's first home tournament in 29 years but the hosts were embarrassingly eliminated in the group stage after defeats against New Zealand and India.
As per the report, it's the ICC that decides the guests to stand at the podium, but despite PCB representative Sumair being there in Dubai, he was not called to the podium.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
