Wasim Akram shocked, PCB furious as ICC brutally ignores Pakistan in Champions Trophy ceremony
The source reckoned it was a misunderstanding on the ICC's behalf that led to the PCB official being ignored, adding that perhaps the CEO might not have been able to communicate properly to the ICC representatives responsible for organising the final ceremony.
Contrary to the reaction from Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar, who questioned the absence of a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representative during the Champions Trophy presentation ceremony, the PCB did send an official for the closing ceremony in Dubai, but was brutally ignored by the ICC, leaving the Pakistani board furious.
According to a report in the PTI, a source confirmed that PCB's chief executive officer, Sumair Ahmed, who was also the tournament director, was present at the Dubai International Stadium for the Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand but was not invited to the ceremony. He was present in PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi's stead but was not called to the stage during the trophy presentation ceremony, where ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Devajit Saikia gave away the medals, trophies, and jackets to the players.
"PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi didn't go to Dubai because of prior commitments as federal minister for interior, but the PCB CEO was sent to represent Pakistan at the final and closing presentation," the source said.
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The source reckoned it was a misunderstanding on the ICC's behalf that led to the PCB official being ignored, adding that perhaps the CEO might not have been able to communicate properly to the ICC representatives responsible for organising the final ceremony.
PCB, left fuming at the act, is expected to take up the matter with the ICC about why its CEO was not invited on stage for the closing ceremony.
Wasim Akram shocked
The 2025 Champions Trophy was a significant tournament for Pakistan. They hosted an ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years, despite five of the 15 matches, including the final, being held in Dubai as part of the competition's hybrid model.
However, the absence of PCB officials from the post-match presentation ceremony left Akhtar baffled. "India has won the Champions Trophy but I noticed there was no representative from the PCB after the final. Pakistan was hosting the Champions Trophy. I do not understand it," Akhtar said in a video posted on social 'X'. "Why was nobody (from PCB) there to present the trophy? It is beyond me. It is something to think about. This is the world stage, you should have been here. Feeling very down to see that."
Akram, speaking on the Dressing Room show after the event, was aware of Sumair replacing Naqvi for the final in Dubai as PCB's representative but was shocked not to see him on the stage during the closing ceremony.
"As far as I know, Chairman Saab (PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi) wasn't well but the people that came from there (PCB) were Sumair Ahmad Syed (Chief Operating Officer of PCB) and Usman Wahla (Director of International for PCB) but no one was there on the stage," he said.
"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? Were they not invited? I don't know what is the story. It definitely looked odd to me while sitting here. Pakistani, koi na koi stage par khada hona bahot jaruri tha. Chahe wo cup na de, chahe wo medal na de but somebody should've been there. (It was imperative that Pakistan should have had representation in any form.)," added Akram.
