As the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 finals wrapped up with India defeating New Zealand by 4 wickets to claim their third title, the tournament’s conclusion ignited an unexpected controversy. Shockingly, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials went missing during the award presentation ceremony on Sunday (March 09) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The PCB official’s disappearance, not only left the cricketing world searching for exact reasons but also sparked criticism from the nation’s former senior cricketers. This forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to step in to explain the situation.
Were the PCB officials sidelined or was it a mistake of communication?
One of the PCB insiders stated that their Chief Operating Officer (COO) and tournament director Sumair Ahmad Syed were not invited onto the stage despite being present at the venue:
“Look! The PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi didn’t travel to Dubai due to his previous commitments as the federal minister for interior. But, according to the standard practices, one of the PCB officials was sent to represent Pakistan in the final and for the concluding ceremony.
Possibly, for a few reasons, the PCB official wasn’t called onto the stage and didn’t continue from where the ICC Chairman, BCCI president, and secretary gave over the awards,” the PCB source said.
Furthermore, the source suggested that the PCB’s Chief Operating Officer might not have communicated his presence to the ICC officials, which might have caused his omission.
Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar Express their Disappointment
Former Pakistani great cricketers Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar openly voiced their outrage over the absence of PCB officials at the presentation ceremony even though Pakistan was advertised as the tournament host and hosting the ICC event after 1996. Here’s what the 58-year-old said:
“See! As far as I am aware, our Chairman Saaab (referring to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi) wasn’t well enough to attend the event. But, what about those who travelled from there (Pakistan Cricket Board)? Especially, Sumair Ahmad Syed, and, Usman Wahla, who is the Chief Operating Officer and Director of International (DOI) for PCB in that order, weren’t called onto the stage even after being present there,” Akram remarked in the Dressing Room show after the occasion.
Akhtar reflected on the same remarks, asking how Pakistan as the tournament’s primary host was avoided from the final match presentation ceremony:
“Yeah! India won the Champions Trophy in 2025. But, I noticed something strange. There weren’t any of the PCB representatives from PCB after the final. I don’t accept it at all.
Why are none of the PCB officials there to present the trophy? It’s completely beyond my understanding. This is something we need to seriously consider. This is the big tournament, where the top eight teams from the world compete, and you should have been here in the event. Feeling very disappointed to watch those painful visuals,” Akhtar said in a video that was uploaded on ‘X’.
Will PCB raise an issue with ICC After the CT 2025 Final?
After Pakistan was sidelined from the closing ceremony of the tournament, the PCB prepares to formally raise a complaint with the ICC. Most importantly, the board is serious about knowing the reasons why the global governing body avoided the PCB officials and is suspicious that it could be an intentional snub.
ICC Spokesperson Clarifies the Exact Reason and Responds to Criticism
After GeoNews reached out to the ICC to clarify the issue, an ICC spokesperson said that the PCB chairman didn’t attend even after being invited to the ceremony:
“Yes! Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman was not available and didn’t travel to Dubai for the Champions Trophy 2025 final.
Most often, the ICC invites the hosting nation’s board such as the chairman, CEO, president, or vice president to take part in the awards ceremony. While other board officials wouldn’t join the stage proceedings regardless of their attendance at the venue,” the spokesperson clarified.
The PCB official’s absence on the stage could have been due to the failure of the board’s appointed representative to appear in the event.
Typically, the representatives of the hosting cricket board are supposed to appear in any ICC tournament final. However, none of the PCB head members attended during the post-match presentation ceremony, which was indeed one of the most shocking moments in cricket history.
Final Thoughts
Despite ICC clarifying the fact, the exact reason behind the snub of the PCB officials remains a mystery at the moment. The speculations continue to rise pointing out either a communication problem or a deliberate act to sideline the hosting nation.
Although Pakistan was the tournament’s main host, Team India played all its matches in Dubai as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to allow its players to travel to the neighboring nation due to security concerns.
Also, the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore missed the opportunity to host the tournament’s final match. This is because India triumphed over Australia by 4 wickets in the first semi-final and Dubai was assigned to host the grand finale.
Moreover, the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was noticeable for his absence from the event. Rather, Roger Binny, the BCCI president handed over the jackets to the Indian players, while the ICC Chairman Jay Shah handed over the Trophy to Team India’s captain Rohit Sharma. In addition, the tournament’s director Sumair Ahmed Syed not present on the stage made the event feel like it was only for the Indian cricket team.