Row erupts over PCB officials' absence at Champions Trophy presentation ceremony

The ICC's failure to invite a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official on stage for the closing ceremony of the Champions Trophy has not gone down well with the tournament host.

A source said that the PCB's chief executive officer Sumair Ahmed, who was also the director of the tournament, was present at the venue but was not invited for the ceremony.

Pakistan hosted an ICC event after 29 years with all India games scheduled in Dubai as part of the competition's hybrid model.

“PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi didn't go to Dubai because of prior commitments as federal minister for interior but the PCB CEO was sent to represent Pakistan at the final and closing presentation,” the source said.

He said for some reason or misunderstanding, the PCB official was not called on the podium, from where ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Devajit Saikia gave away the medals, trophies, and jackets to the players.

The source added that perhaps the CEO might not have been able to communicate properly to the ICC people responsible for organising the final ceremony and was left out.

Pakistan as hosts of the Champions Trophy, thus, didn't have any representative on the podium.

The PCB is expected to take up the matter with the ICC as to why its CEO was not invited on stage for the closing ceremony.

Meanwhile, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also questioned the absence of PCB officials from the post-match presentation ceremony after the final of the tournament.

“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,” Akhtar said in a video posted on social 'X'.

“Why was nobody (from PCB) 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 added.

BCCI president Binny presented the white jackets to India and the medals to match officials, while ICC chairman Shah handed the trophy to Rohit Sharma and gave the medals to the Indian players.

India had refused to play their matches in Pakistan citing security concerns.