Champions Trophy final ceremony controversy escalates as PCB rejects ICC's explanation

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unhappy with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) reasoning behind not having anyone from Pakistan on the podium during the Champions Trophy 2025 final presentation ceremony. PCB were the main hosts of the tournament and while the final took place in Dubai, UAE, under the hybrid model, the cricket fraternity in Pakistan was disappointed not to see someone from their country during the closing ceremony of the Champions Trophy 2025, which India won.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi reportedly did not travel to Dubai due to a packed schedule, however, the director of the tournament for the Pakistan leg and the board’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sumair Ahmad was present at the venue but was not invited to the podium.

PCB COO ignored at CT 2025 final?

The medals, jackets and the trophy were handed over by ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI president Roger Binny, secretary Devajit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket director Roger Twose.

The PCB COO was not invited to the podium as only elected members or directors of the boards can be part of the presentation ceremony. The same was clarified by an ICC spokesperson to Firstpost.

The ICC has reportedly given the same clarification to the Pakistan board, however, they are not happy with it.

“The ICC, apparently, has said it had prepared for Mohsin Naqvi to be on stage so when he didn’t show up for the final, they changed their plan,” a PCB source told news agency PTI.

PCB plans protest against ICC

The PTI report said that the PCB has rejected the clarification given by ICC and plans to register a protest for ignoring his official during the presentation ceremony of the Champions 2025.

The PCB is also agitated by multiple errors that occurred during the Champions Trophy 2025, including the missing Pakistan name from the Champions Trophy 205 logo during the live broadcast of the India vs Bangladesh Group A match.

The Indian national anthem was also played briefly at the start of the Australia vs England Group B match in Lahore.

ICC had claimed that the playlist mix-up caused the national anthem error, but the PCB, it seems, is now in no mood to accept another ‘gaffe’ and plans to reach the root cause of the problem.

It will be interesting to see if the ICC provides any further clarification on the matter.