The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to formally protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the alleged snub of its CEO and Champions Trophy tournament director, Sumair Ahmed Syed, during the closing ceremony in Dubai. According to a PCB insider on Monday, Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was dissatisfied with the ICC’s rationale for not including Ahmed on stage at Sunday’s presentation.
Reportedly, the ICC stated that their arrangements were initially made for Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to be on stage. However, upon his absence at the final, they adjusted their plans. An ICC spokesperson added that their standard protocol is to invite only the head of the host board, such as the president, vice president, chairman, or CEO, to participate in the awards ceremony. Other board officials, even if present at the venue, are not included in the stage proceedings.
It is noted that India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final match.
The PCB has rejected this explanation. They have highlighted several errors made by the ICC throughout the tournament concerning Pakistan’s role as the host nation.
These errors include altering the Champions Trophy 2025 logo in the live broadcast feed during the India versus Bangladesh match and mistakenly playing the Indian national anthem at the Australia versus England game in Lahore.
The ICC attributed the national anthem incident to a playlist mix-up, stating that the Indian anthem was played for a brief period before the mistake was corrected.
During the ceremony, BCCI president Roger Binny presented white jackets to Indian players and medals to match officials. ICC chairman Jay Shah awarded the trophy to captain Rohit Sharma and medals to the winning team.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket CEO Roger Twose were also present on stage.
Meanwhile, the PCB chairman conveyed his appreciation to his team, law enforcement agencies, provincial governments, ICC officials, and the visiting teams for the successful execution of the tournament.
He expressed on social media that their dedication and joint efforts ensured the smooth running of the prestigious tournament.
Pakistan, he added, is very proud to host the Champions Trophy and make it a memorable event for cricket enthusiasts globally.
