PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was originally intended to participate in the presentation after the final, but the host board stated he was unwell and unable to travel to Dubai.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has requested an explanation from the ICC regarding the exclusion of tournament director Sumair Ahmed from the post-final presentation ceremony in Dubai on Sunday. Sumair, who also serves as the PCB’s chief operating officer, was present in Dubai for the final in his role as tournament director and Pakistan’s representative. Pakistan was the official host of the Champions Trophy.
Following India’s victory over New Zealand to win the title, the presentation ceremony included four officials: the ICC chair Jay Shah, two representatives from the BCCI, and one from New Zealand Cricket, but none from the PCB. Besides Shah, the officials present were BCCI president Roger Binny, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, and NZC director Roger Twose. Typically, representatives from nations playing in the final do not participate in post-tournament ICC ceremonies, unless the host country is involved in the final.
ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB was surprised by the presence of Saikia, especially since another BCCI official, Binny, was already on stage. However, the exclusion of the host representative is the main point of contention for the board. Host nation representatives are usually included in trophy presentations. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was initially planned to be part of the presentation, but the PCB announced he was ill and unable to travel to Dubai. They anticipated Sumair would substitute as Pakistan’s representative.
While it’s understood that the PCB did not formally inform the ICC that Sumair would replace Naqvi on the podium, the Pakistan board believes it was the ICC’s responsibility to contact them about a replacement for Naqvi. The PCB is upset that no ICC representative contacted them at any point during the final to discuss arrangements for Pakistani representation on the podium after the match.
A PCB official stated that the ICC has not yet responded to the PCB with any explanation. ESPNcricinfo has also reached out to the ICC for comment.
Dubai hosted the final as part of an agreement between the PCB and the BCCI. Naqvi initially insisted that the entire tournament, Pakistan’s first ICC event as host since 1996, be held in Pakistan. However, the BCCI stated that the Indian government had denied permission for their cricket team to travel to Pakistan. Consequently, the two boards agreed that India would play all their matches in Dubai, and for all ICC events hosted by these two nations over the next three years, the other side would play their matches at a separate neutral venue.
This marks the third instance in this tournament where the PCB has sought clarification from the ICC regarding incidents they perceive as undermining Pakistan’s role as official hosts of the Champions Trophy. During the second match of the tournament, when India played Bangladesh in Dubai, Pakistan’s name was omitted from the logo on the official broadcast.
The following day, when Australia played England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the Indian national anthem briefly started playing instead of the Australian anthem. The PCB held the ICC accountable, stating that the anthem playlist was produced and distributed by the governing body, which is also responsible for playing the anthems before matches. The ICC attributed the logo omission to an error, and according to the PCB, offered regrets for the anthem mix-up, blaming it on a DJ mistake.
