Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was shocked after noticing the complete absence of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representatives at the trophy presentation ceremony following India's Champions Trophy 2025 victory. Despite Pakistan being the official host of the tournament, no PCB official was present on the podium when ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI President Roger Binny, and Secretary Devajit Saikia distributed medals and handed the trophy to Indian skipper Rohit Sharma.
Akhtar Questions PCB’s No-Show at the Podium
Expressing his disappointment, Akhtar took to social media, questioning why Pakistan had no presence at such a significant global event. "India has won the ICC Champions Trophy, but one odd thing was that there was no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the presentation. Pakistan was the host, yet no representative was standing there to present the trophy. This is beyond my understanding. It was a world stage event, and we should have had someone there. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any PCB members, and it’s disheartening,".
Pakistan embarresed as India makes Champions Trophy history
Pakistan, the defending champions, had a forgettable campaign, crashing out in the group stage without a single win. They suffered defeats to India and New Zealand, while their match against Bangladesh was washed out.
The controversy stems from the tournament’s hybrid model, which was introduced after India refused to travel to Pakistan due to political tensions. As a result, all of India's matches, including the final, were played in Dubai. The final venue was dependent on India’s semifinal outcome, and once they secured a spot in the summit clash, Lahore was ruled out as the host city.
India on the other hand clinched a record third Champions Trophy title with a commanding four-wicket victory over New Zealand. The win was powered by Rohit Sharma’s composed half-century, stellar bowling performances from spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, and KL Rahul’s steady finishing knock.
