India won their third ICC Champions Trophy by defeating New Zealand by four wickets. However, during the closing ceremony, no Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials were present on stage. This raised many questions since Pakistan was the official host of the tournament.
Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar also criticized their absence. Instead, BCCI President Roger Binny and Secretary Devajit Saikia gave away the medals and jackets. ICC President Jay Shah handed the trophy to Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
ICC Explains the Situation
An ICC spokesperson clarified the matter while speaking to India Today. He stated that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not attend the event due to unavailability. According to ICC rules, only PCB office bearers could take part in the ceremony. Since no official from PCB was present in Dubai, they had no representative on stage.
"Mr. Naqvi was unavailable and didn’t travel. Only office bearers can participate in the presentation. Since no PCB office bearer was in Dubai, they were not present at the ceremony. As hosts, they should have been there," said the ICC spokesperson.
PCB CEO Was Present but Not Invited
A report revealed that PCB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sumair Ahmed, attended the final but was not invited on stage. Ahmed also served as the tournament director but did not receive any official invitation to participate in the ceremony.
A PCB source told, "PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi couldn’t travel to Dubai due to prior commitments as the federal interior minister. However, the PCB CEO was sent to represent Pakistan at the final and closing ceremony."
The report suggested that a communication error between PCB and ICC officials might have caused Ahmed to be left out.
PCB Plans to Raise the Issue
Frustrated by the incident, PCB now plans to take up the matter with the ICC. They want an explanation for why their CEO was not included in the closing ceremony.
This controversy has sparked criticism. Many believe PCB should have ensured proper representation at such a crucial event.