Islamabad [Pakistan]: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the absence of a Pakistani representative during the Champions Trophy final prize distribution ceremony in Dubai on Sunday, as reported by Geo News.
Despite PCB Chief Executive Sumair Ahmad Syed being present at the venue, he was not included in the official ceremony. Since PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was unwell and unable to attend, Sumair was designated to represent Pakistan as the host nation.
ICC’s Response
In response, an ICC spokesperson clarified that only the head of the host board — such as the president, vice president, chairman, or CEO — is invited to participate in the awards ceremony.
“The ICC only invites the head of the host board 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 told Geo News.
The PCB, however, argued that the ICC should have proactively reached out to confirm Naqvi’s replacement for the ceremony.
Previous Incidents Highlighted by PCB
The PCB has also demanded a formal explanation for two previous incidents during the tournament that they believe undermined Pakistan’s status as the official host:
- During India’s opener against Bangladesh, Pakistan’s name was omitted from the official broadcast logo.
- During the Australia vs. England match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, India’s national anthem was accidentally played before kickoff.
The ICC reportedly attributed these incidents to technical errors, describing the logo issue as a broadcasting mistake and the anthem mix-up as a DJ error.
This marks the third formal protest from the PCB regarding incidents they believe have disrespected Pakistan’s role as the tournament’s host.