New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Monday thanked his team for the successful hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy in the country and called it a “historic event for cricket fans worldwide”.
As India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, the eight-team competition, which was officially hosted by Pakistan, came to an end. However, India refused to travel to Pakistan and played all their matches in Dubai.
It was Pakistan’s first major ICC tournament after last co-hosting the 1996 ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated PCB team, the vigilant law enforcement agencies, the supportive provincial governments, the esteemed ICC officials, and the phenomenal cricket teams that traveled to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Your commitment and collective efforts ensured the seamless execution of this prestigious tournament, transforming it into a resounding success,” Naqvi wrote on X on Monday.
“Pakistan takes immense pride in hosting this global spectacle, and your contributions have truly made it a historic event for cricket fans worldwide,” he added.
The tournament was played across three venues in Pakistan – Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi apart from India’s matches that took place in Dubai, including the summit clash.
Former Pakistan players Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at PCB for their absence in the presentation ceremony of the Champions Trophy final in Dubai.
There was no one from PCB or Pakistan’s cricket official present in any form for the prize distribution ceremony after the Champions Trophy final despite Pakistan being the host.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah handed the Champions Trophy to winning captain Rohit Sharma while BCCI chief Roger Binny presented the champions’ white blazers. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was also among the dignitaries on stage.
“As far as I know, Chairman Saab (PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi) wasn’t well but the people that came from there (PCB) were Sumair Ahmad Syed (Chief Operating Officer of PCB) and Usman Wahla (Director of International Cricket for PCB) but no one was there on the stage,” Akram said on the Dressing Room show after the event.
“We were the host, weren’t we right? How come even the COO of PCB or whoever it may be who was representing Chairman Saab, why weren’t they on stage? Were they not invited? I don’t know what the story is. It definitely looked odd to me while sitting here. Pakistani, koi na koi stage par khada hona bahot jaruri tha. Chahe wo cup na de, chahe wo medal na de, but somebody should’ve been there (It was imperative that Pakistan should have had representation in any form),” he added.
Akhtar took to X and said, “India have won the ICC Champions Trophy. There was one odd thing: no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board (was there) during the presentation ceremony. Pakistan was the host of the Champions Trophy, but no representative of Pakistan was standing. No one was there to present the trophy. It is beyond me. Think about it. The tournament was hosted by us, but there was nobody there. Feeling very down to see that,” he added.
–IANS
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