The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) after a controversy unfolded at the Champions Trophy 2025 final. During the trophy presentation ceremony on Sunday, Sumair Ahmed, the PCB’s chief operating officer (COO) and the tournament director, was overlooked despite being sent as the PCB’s representative in the absence of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final held in Dubai, securing their third Champions Trophy title. While BCCI president Roger Binny presented white jackets to the Indian players and medals to the match officials, ICC chairman Jay Shah handed the trophy to India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and presented the medals to the winning team. Notably, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who is also the BCCI Director on the ICC board, and New Zealand Cricket CEO Roger Twose were also on stage. However, Sumair Ahmed was not called up to the stage, a move that has led to PCB’s formal complaint.
A PCB official expressed their displeasure, saying, “We have filed a formal complaint with the ICC as what happened is unacceptable to us.” However, despite the complaint, ICC sources have indicated that the board is unlikely to provide any formal explanation, as reported by Hindustan Times.
According to the ICC, tournament protocols left them with no option but to exclude Sumair Ahmed from the ceremony. An ICC source clarified, “If the PCB mandarins look up, even ICC CEO Geoff Allardice wasn’t present on stage. The reason is protocol. Sumair Ahmed is an employee of the PCB and not an office-bearer. Also, please check when has a tournament director been on stage for presentation?”
To further explain, the ICC source drew a comparison, stating, “We can give an example. ICC’s new head of operations and communications Gaurav Saxena was once Tournament Director for the Asia Cup in Dubai. Was he on stage for the final presentation?” This explanation, however, did little to placate the PCB, who deemed the response “illogical.”
The PCB official responded, stating, “The reasons being given for not having our COO and tournament director on stage for the final presentation make no sense to us. We are waiting for a formal clarification/apology.” They expressed their disappointment with the handling of the situation, adding, “We are appalled by this blatant disregard for Pakistan’s role as the host nation.”
The PCB rejected the ICC’s reasoning, particularly the claim that only CEOs, chairmen, vice-chairmen, or secretaries are invited to the presentation ceremony. The official stated, “Giving explanations that ICC only invites CEOs, chairmen, vice-chairmen, or secretaries for the ceremony is illogical. We want a full public clarification and an assurance that such biased and unjust treatment will not happen again or we will push this matter to the Board of governors.”
While the ICC has reiterated its stance on protocol, the PCB’s call for a public clarification remains firm, signaling a growing frustration with the perceived unfair treatment of Pakistan’s representatives during the Champions Trophy 2025 final.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
