PCB declares war on ICC despite explanation over Pakistan officials' absence from CT final ceremony

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has finally opened up on the absence of Pakistani officials from the presentation ceremony of the Champions Trophy 2025 final between India and New Zealand in Dubai.

The PCB is not pleased with the way things have gone and is all set to register a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the matter, reported PTI. The ICC has given its clarification about the absence of Pakistan's officials but the PCB has rejected it.

The Pakistani board is not satisfied with the clarification given a member of their board was already present on the ground. The issue created controversy and it somehow overshadowed a successful Champions Trophy.

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No PCB representative in the CT 2025 final ceremony

Initially, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was expected to be on the stage for the final presentation ceremony but unfortunately couldn't travel to Dubai due to some reasons. In Naqvi's absence, PCB's CEO Sumair Ahmed was sent as the representative from the country.

However, he wasn't invited to the stage by the ICC leading to a huge controversy. There were four dignitaries who presented the awards and medals to the players and the match officials, but no one from them was from Pakistan.

"The ICC, apparently, has said it had prepared for Mohsin Naqvi to be on stage so when he didn't show up for the final, they changed their plan," a source claimed.

ICC chairman Jay Shah handed over the trophy to the winning captain Rohit Sharma and also gave away the medals to the players of the winning team. BCCI president Roger Binny presented the white jackets to Indian players and gave the medals to the match officials.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was also on the stage alongside New Zealand Cricket's CEO Roger Twose. Notably, there were two BCCI officials on the stage but the hosts Pakistan didn't have a single representative.

Mohsin Naqvi thanked officials

After the tournament was concluded, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi thanked all the agencies and officials for ensuring the smooth conduct of a successful tournament. In a statement, he claimed that Pakistan is proud of hosting this tournament and making it memorable for the fans.

"Your commitment and collective efforts ensured the seamless execution of the prestigious tournament. Pakistan takes immense pride in hosting the Champions trophy and making it a spectacle for cricket fans worldwide," he stated.

The tournament was hosted by Pakistan with all the teams playing their matches in the country except India. The BCCI claimed that they didn't receive permission from the Indian government to send their team to Pakistan.

As a result, the tournament was hosted in a hybrid model with India playing all their matches in Dubai. Overall, the tournament went on to be a successful one from the cricketing point of view.

Other controversies during the tournament

Although the tournament was hosted well by Pakistan and Dubai, there were a few controversies that created the headlines. The PCB is unhappy with so many errors on the part of the ICC and asked the ICC for an explanation.

This includes the absence of Pakistan's name in the logo of the live broadcast of the India-Bangladesh match. The ICC called it a technical error from their side and ensured that it won't happen again.

Another controversy erupted when the Indian national anthem was played during the Australia-England match played at Lahore. The ICC called it a mix-up as the mistake was corrected soon.