Indian cricketers have fun after successful the ICC Champions Trophy, March 9, 2025. — AFP
DUBAI: The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) has stepped in to make clear the scenario relating to the absence of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officers throughout the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 closing ceremony in Dubai.
An ICC spokesperson revealed that Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB Administration Committee Chairman and the designated consultant of the host board, was invited to the ceremony however didn’t attend. “Mr Naqvi was unavailable and didn’t travel to Dubai for the final,” the spokesperson confirmed.
Responding to criticism over the lack of Pakistani representation on stage, the ICC emphasised its established protocols for awards ceremonies.
“The ICC only invites the head of the host board — such as the president, vice president, chairman, or CEO — to participate in the awards ceremony. Other board officials, regardless of their presence at the venue, are not part of the stage proceedings,” the spokesperson defined.
The ICC additional emphasised that this protocol has been constantly adopted throughout all its tournaments and isn’t distinctive to the Champions Trophy.
The absence of a PCB official on stage was solely because of the non-attendance of the board’s designated consultant.
The Champions Trophy closing was held in Dubai after India’s matches have been relocated from Pakistan because of the Indian authorities’s refusal to ship its cricket crew to Pakistan.
Whereas many of the match was hosted in Pakistan, the ultimate’s location in Dubai raised questions concerning the host nation’s visibility throughout key moments of the occasion.
