NEW DELHI: The failure of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to send a single representative to Sunday’s 2025 Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Stadium has drawn harsh criticism.
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 shared the podium to award players with the trophy after India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final.
Sumair Ahmed, the PCB chief operations officer and the Champions Trophy event director, was in Dubai but was not given a podium invitation.
According to a report by Telecom Asia Sport, Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the PCB, was unable to visit Dubai because of his official duties as the nation’s interior minister. President Asif Zardari was scheduled to speak at the joint parliament session in Islamabad, and Mohsin had informed the ICC that he was occupied with that.
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar claimed on social media that it was “beyond his understanding” that Pakistan had not sent a single representative to the stage.
“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.
The fact that the PCB chairman did not attend the celebration because India had advanced to the final and emerged victorious is seen by some former Pakistani players as a negative indication.
After losing to New Zealand and India, the hosts were humiliatingly ousted in the group round of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which was Pakistan’s first home tournament in 29 years.
The PCB delegate Sumair was there in Dubai, but he was not called to the stage, even though the report states that the ICC chooses which guests will stand at the podium.
But a post by a Pakistani journalist claimed that, “Mohsin Naqvi was supposed to attend the final and presentation but he wasn’t feeling well and was unable to attend it.”