Champions Trophy 2025 Final: Shoaib Akhtar Questions Absence of PCB Representatitves at CT Awards Ceremony

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Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar has questioned the lack of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representation at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 presentation ceremony despite being the hosts of the tournament, which was won by arch-rivals India on Sunday (March 9).

After India clinched the title, beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final, the podium was shared by ICC chairman Jay Shah, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny and secretary Devajit Saikia as well as New Zealand Cricket (NZC) director Roger Twose.

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. Some reports suggest, it's the ICC that decides the guests to stand on the podium.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi reportedly did not travel to Dubai due to his official commitment as interior minister of the country. According to a report on Telecom Asia Sport, the PCB chief Mohsin had conveyed to the ICC that he was busy in the joint parliament session in Islamabad where President Asif Zardari was due to address.

However, PCB chief operating officer Sumair Ahmed, also the tournament director of the Champions Trophy, was in Dubai but was not invited to the podium. Expressing his disappointment, Akhtar questioned why no PCB official was present to hand over the trophy, despite Pakistan being the designated host nation for the tournament.

"India has won the ICC Champions Trophy...I saw a strange thing, that no representative from the PCB was there. It is my question--why was there nobody from PCB to present or give the trophy? Pakistan was the host nation, but there was nobody there. Think about it, feeling very down to see that," Akhtar remarked in the video posted on X.

Apart from the podium snub, there was also another interesting observation from some fans on social media as former Australia captain walked out to lay the trophy on the stand before the ceremony began instead of a player or a captain from the defending champions Pakistan.

Notably, Pakistan was the host country for this year's Champions Trophy. However, India refused to go to Pakistan, citing 'security concerns' following which the 'Men in Blue' played all their games in Dubai.

As India also headed into the knockouts while Pakistan was eliminated in the group stage, the first semi-final and final were subsequently played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.