Shoaib Akhtar flabbergasted over no PCB representation at Champions Trophy final presentation

DUBAI: Sadly, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be remembered as much for the controversies that dogged it, as for the near-flawless cricket dished out by India to emerge triumphant in the tournament. As if the accusations against India of gaining an "undeniable, unfair" advantage of playing all their matches at one venue in Dubai weren't enough, a fresh controversy erupted at the tail-end of the competition.
While it was heart-warming to see Rohit Sharma lift the cup for the Indian fans, it was definitely a big surprise to see no representative of the Pakistan Cricket Board at the presentation ceremony after India's triumph at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday night, despite Pakistan being the host nation of the tournament. The final and all of India's matches were held in Dubai under a hybrid model as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had refused to send its team to Pakistan due to security issues and geopolitical reasons. The venue for the Champions Trophy final depended on India's semifinal result, and when they reached the summit clash after beating Australia, Lahore was dropped from the picture.

After India recorded a four-wicket win in the summit clash over New Zealand to clinch their record third Champions Trophy title, ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Devajit Saikia were present at the podium to present the medals. Also present at the stage was former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, who is the Kiwis' representative in the ICC Board of directors. 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.
TOI understands that while PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi didn't travel to Dubai to watch the final as he was "unwell," PCB Chief Operating Officer and CT25 Tournament Director Sumair Ahmed Syed was present at the stadium, but not in the trophy presentation ceremony.

"Mohsin was sick and didn't travel to Dubai. But PCB Chief Operating Officer and CT25 Tournament Director Sumair Ahmed Syed was in Dubai and performed his responsibilities as the event lead. He should have been at the presentation ceremony. Why the ICC ignored him, only the ICC will be able to shed light on this, but this was unprecedented," PCB sources told TOI on Monday.
However, according to sources close to the developments, as per the protocol, it is only Naqvi who was supposed to have been present on the stage, since he's the PCB's representative amongst the board of directors.
The sight of no PCB representative at the presentation ceremony here left former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, normally vocal about his views, flabbergasted. "India has won the ICC Champions Trophy. There was one odd thing: no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the presentation ceremony.
Pakistan is the host of the Champions Trophy, but there was no representative of Pakistan who was standing. No one was there to present the trophy. It is beyond me. Think about it. It was the world stage, you should have been there, but sadly, I could not see any Pakistan Cricket Board member there. We hosted the tournament, yet there was nobody there. Feeling very down to see that," Akhtar said in a video posted on his social media.
Pakistan had been knocked out in the group stage of the tournament.