Shoaib Akhtar slams PCB over absence at the Champions Trophy final ceremony.
Former Pakistani legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has expressed dismay over the absence of a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representative at the Champions Trophy 2025 presentation ceremony in Dubai, despite Pakistan being the official host of the tournament.
In a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Akhtar questioned why no PCB official was present at the ceremony, where India lifted the trophy after defeating New Zealand in the final on Sunday.
“India has won the ICC Champions Trophy. But one odd thing stood out—no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board was present during the presentation. Pakistan was the official host of the tournament, yet no representative was there to present the trophy. It is beyond me. The tournament was hosted by us, but there was nobody from Pakistan at the stage,” Akhtar said.
The trophy was handed over to Indian captain Rohit Sharma by International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah, while Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny presented the white blazers to the winning team.
Other dignitaries on stage included former Australia captain Aaron Finch and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
It is important to note here that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was absent from the ceremony, raising questions about the board’s role in the event.
In contrast, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla attended the second semi-final in Lahore earlier this month, where South Africa faced New Zealand.
