Updated 11 March 2025 at 11:56 IST
ICC Responds To Shoaib Akhtar's Inaccurate Champions Trophy 2025 Observation, Quashes PAK Pacer's Baseless Claims
India won their third Champions Trophy by defeating New Zealand by 4 wickets in the final. The Champions Trophy was played in a 'Hybrid Model'
A new controversy was stirred up by Pakistan after India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final vs New Zealand on March 9. Questions were raised as to why it is that no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board, who were the official hosts of the tournament, was present on the podium during the trophy giving ceremony. The ICC has now issued a statement on the matter and put the blame for this solely on the PCB, as they sent no one who could actually represent them on the podium.
ICC Issues Clarification
"Mr. Mohsin Naqvi (PCB chairman) was unavailable and did not travel to Dubai for the final. The ICC only invites the head of the host board such as the president, vice president, chairman, or CEO - to participate in the awards ceremony. Other board officials, even if present at the venue, are not part of the stage proceedings," an ICC spokesperson said. The PCB had sent Sumair Ahmed Syed, the director for the Pakistan leg of the Champions Trophy and the COO, to Dubai.
But as he was not the board president, vice president, chairman, or CEO, he was not ever going to be allowed on stage. Ex-Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar had lamented the absence of any PCB officials on the podium.
Shoaib Akhtar's Inaccurate Observation Sparks Controversy
"India have won the ICC Champions Trophy but I noticed something strange that there were no Pakistan Cricket Board representatives here. Pakistan were the hosts in the tournament but no one from the PCB was there. This is beyond my understanding. Why did no one come to represent us and give the trophy? It is beyond me. Point to think about it please. It is a world stage and they should have been there, but sadly I could not see any Pakistan Cricket Board member out there. And it is hosted by us yet there is nobody there. Think about it. Feeling very down to see that," Akhtar said on a video posted on his X account.
He was not the only one who felt that way as ex-Pakistan captain Wasim Akram echoed his views, saying it seemed odd that no one from the PCB was there. "We were the host, weren’t we right? How come even the COO of PCB or whoever it may be who was representing Chairman Saab, why weren’t they on stage? It definitely looked odd to me while sitting here," Akram said.
But it is now clear that the lack of PCB members was down to an error by the PCB themselves, and should put to rest any conspiracy theories of the PCB being discriminated against.
Published By : Jishu Bhattacharya
Published On: 11 March 2025 at 11:56 IST