Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has raised concerns about the absence of a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official at the Champions Trophy 2025 presentation ceremony in Dubai, despite Pakistan being the official host of the tournament. Akhtar, in a video on X (formerly Twitter), questioned why no PCB representative was present when India lifted the trophy after defeating New Zealand in the final.
“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.
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The trophy was handed over to Indian captain Rohit Sharma by ICC chairman Jay Shah, while BCCI president Roger Binny presented white blazers to the winners. Other dignitaries on stage included former Australia captain Aaron Finch and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. Notably, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not attend the ceremony, raising questions about Pakistan’s role in the event. Meanwhile, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla attended the second semi-final in Lahore, where South Africa played New Zealand.
Pakistan was unable to host the Champions Trophy final due to India’s qualification. Under a hybrid model, Lahore would have hosted the final only if India had not reached it. The Pakistan team played just one match at home, a group-stage fixture against New Zealand in Karachi, which they lost.
Their match against India took place in Dubai, where they faced a heavy defeat. Their final group game in Rawalpindi was abandoned due to rain. India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, with Rohit Sharma scoring 76 in the final to help his team chase New Zealand’s target of 252. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy played key roles in restricting New Zealand and securing the title.
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