The absence of a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representative at the final presentation ceremony in Dubai during the Champions Trophy 2025 has caused controversy. Technical regulations imply that the omission was due to PCB’s very governance system.
The ceremony witnessed a lineup of eminent guests such as International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah, president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Roger Binny, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, and New Zealand Cricket director Roger Twose. They awarded medals, jackets, and the trophy to the players. But in a surprising twist, no PCB official was present on the podium even though Pakistan had been the hosting country for the tournament.
PCB Officials Present but Not Invited to the Stage
As per news agency PTI, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not make the trip to Dubai for the final. Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sumair Ahmad, who was also the tournament director of the Pakistan leg, was at the venue but was not invited onto the stage.
This perceived slight angered the Pakistan cricket community. Media persons accused the ICC of bias, and great cricketer Wasim Akram also raised his voice of concern.
“From what I have learnt, the chairman wasn’t well, but the people from the PCB who were present in the final were Sumair Ahmad and Usman Wahla. These two guys were present, but neither of them was on the stage,” Akram told the DP World Dressing Room show.
“The question now is that we were the hosts, weren’t we? How come even the COO of the Pakistan Cricket Board or whoever it may be who was representing that chairman was not on the stage? Was he not invited on the stage? I don’t know what the story is, but it definitely looked odd to me as well while sitting here. It was very important to have a Pakistani on the stage. Even if he didn’t present the cup for the medal, somebody should have been there.”
Shoaib Akhtar Raises Question
Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his surprise at PCB’s absence from the ceremony. He emphasized that Pakistan was the tournament’s host, and their absence set a wrong precedent. Akhtar urged the board members to reflect on this and admitted feeling deeply disappointed by their absence.
“India has won the Champions Trophy but I noticed there was no representative from the PCB after the final. Pakistan was hosting the Champions Trophy. I do not understand it. Why was nobody there to present the trophy? It is beyond me. It is something to think about. This is the world stage, you should have been here. Feeling very down to see that,” Akhtar said in a video posted on social media.
The best team of the tournament has won the Champions Trophy. That too without dropping a single match!! #India #championstrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/KUytSNyQi7
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) March 9, 2025
Why No PCB Official Was on the Podium
A Cricbuzz report has explained the circumstances. Under the rules of the tournament, only board directors or elected members can be present on the podium for the final ceremony of presentation. Staff members of a cricket board, such as the COO or the tournament director, do not enjoy this privilege.
According to the same protocol, Andre Russell, the Dubai leg of the Champions Trophy’s tournament director, was also not invited on stage. Only members who were elected could take part in the official presentation ceremony.
This clarification suggests that PCB officials were not deliberately excluded but were simply ineligible under existing ICC rules. Despite the controversy, the tournament concluded successfully, and the debate over representation continues within the cricketing community.
