The Champions Trophy 2025 has ended, and Team India won the final by defeating New Zealand. The team has returned home with the trophy. However, there is still controversy regarding the award ceremony after the final match. Many former Pakistani cricketers and fans questioned why no Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official was present on the stage. Now, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has responded to this issue.
Who Was on the Stage?
After India’s victory, ICC President Jay Shah and four other officials were present on the stage. This included:
- BCCI President Roger Binny
- BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia
- New Zealand Cricket Director Roger Twose
After seeing this, many Pakistani cricketers and fans started questioning why no PCB official was there, even though Pakistan was the host country.
ICC’s Explanation
An ICC spokesperson spoke to Geo TV and explained that arrangements were made to invite PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to the award ceremony, but he did not come.
According to ICC rules, only the host board’s top officials (such as Chairman, Vice Chairman, or CEO) can be invited to the stage. Other board members, even if present at the venue, cannot participate in the ceremony.
Wasim Akram Expresses Disappointment
Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram expressed his disappointment, saying:
- “The PCB Chairman was not feeling well, but there should have been someone from PCB on the stage.”
- “Some PCB officials like Sumair Ahmed and Usman were at the venue, but they were not seen on stage.”
- “As the host nation, PCB should have had a representative on stage. Were they not invited?”
Pakistan’s Poor Performance in Champions Trophy
Pakistan, the host nation, had a disastrous tournament and was eliminated in the group stage.
- They lost their first two matches.
- Their final match was abandoned due to rain.
On the other hand, India dominated the tournament:
- They won all their group matches.
- They defeated Australia in the semi-final.
- In the final, they defeated New Zealand by 4 wickets to win the Champions Trophy 2025.
Despite Pakistan being the host, their absence from the award stage has led to many questions and debates in the cricketing world.
