India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the title clash to lift the Champions Trophy 2025.
India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the title clash to lift the coveted trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (March 9).
Although Pakistan were the designated hosts for the Champions Trophy, there was no one representing the PCB in any capacity on the podium.
“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,” said Akram on the Dressing Room show.
“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.),” he added.
On the other hand, Akhtar took to social media platform X to express his dismay. He said, “India have won the ICC Champions Trophy. There was one odd thing: no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the presentation ceremony. Pakistan were the host of the Champions Trophy, but there was no representative of Pakistan who was standing. No one was there to present the trophy. It is beyond me. Think about it. The tournament was hosted by us, but there was nobody there. Feeling very down to see that.”
Jay Shah, the ICC chairman, handed the Champions Trophy to the victorious captain, Rohit. Roger Binny, the BCCI chief, presented the champions’ white blazers. Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, was among the other dignitaries on stage.
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium hosted all of India's Champions Trophy matches. Since the BCCI refused to send its team to Pakistan due to security concerns, the ICC adopted a hybrid model, allowing Rohit Sharma’s team to play their games in a neutral venue.