NEW DELHI: The failure of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to send a single representative to Sunday’s 2025 Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Stadium has drawn harsh criticism from former player Shoaib Akhtar.
Pakistan were the official hosts of the 2025 Champions Trophy, their first big-ticket tournament since co-hosting the 1996 ODI World Cup. India’s matches, including the final, however, were played in Dubai due to safety reasons.
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International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny and secretary Devajit Saikia, and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) director Roger Twose shared the podium to help players with the customary white jackets, medals and hand the trophy after India defeated New Zealand by four-wickets in the final.

Sumair Ahmed, the PCB chief operations officer and the Champions Trophy event director, was in Dubai but was could not be on the podium as per protocol.
According to reports in Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the PCB, was unable to attend the final because he was unwell. There were other unsubstantiated reports that said he was required to stay back in Pakistan. President Asif Zardari was scheduled to speak at the joint parliament session in Islamabad, and Mohsin, the interior minister, had informed the ICC that he was occupied with that.

Former seamer Akhtar claimed on social media that it was “beyond his understanding” that Pakistan had not sent a single representative to the stage.
“India has won the ICC Champions Trophy today but I noticed something strange. Pakistan were the hosts in the tournament but there were no Pakistan Cricket Board representatives here (at the trophy presentation). This is beyond my understanding. Why was there no one to represent us and give the trophy? Please think about it, it’s a world stage but sadly I could not see any PCB members. Feeling very down to see that,” said Akhtar in a video posted on X.
The fact that the PCB chairman did not attend the celebration because India had advanced to the final and emerged victorious is seen by some former Pakistani players as a negative indication.
After losing to New Zealand and India, the hosts were ousted in the group stage of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
In the final, India beat New Zealand by 4-wickets to win their third Champions Trophy title. In the last edition of the tournament, won by Pakistan in 2017, India had been beaten convincingly by the Men in Green. This time, though, India went unbeaten in the 50-over competition.