Pakistan, the sole host of the recently concluded ninth edition of the Champions Trophy, faced an unexpected snub during the trophy presentation ceremony. While all participating teams played in Pakistan, India refused to tour the country, leading to their matches, including the final, being held at a neutral venue in Dubai, UAE.
India emerged victorious in the final against New Zealand, but the absence of any representative from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the presentation stage sparked criticism, particularly from former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.
Despite PCB being the official host, the decision on who would be on the podium was ultimately made by the ICC, led by its chairman Jay Shah, the former secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The trophy presentation saw the presence of BCCI President Roger Binny and Secretary Devajit Saikia, alongside ICC Chairman Jay Shah, but no PCB representative was included.
An ICC spokesperson defended the decision, stating that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was unavailable on Sunday to attend the event in Dubai. As per ICC rules, only board officials could be on the podium, and no other PCB official was present. However, PCB officials expressed their dissatisfaction with this explanation.
A PCB representative told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, had prior governmental commitments. To ensure representation, PCB had sent its CEO to Dubai, who, according to them, should have been invited onto the stage.
Shoaib Akhtar and several Pakistani cricket circles have voiced frustration over what they perceive as an unfair exclusion of PCB representatives from the presentation ceremony, further fueling the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan in cricketing matters.
