ICC clears air on PCB officials absence at Champions Trophy ceremony

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has cleared the air over the situation related to the absence of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials during the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 final post-match ceremony at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. 

The international cricketing body responded to Geo News after the channel reached out to the ICC for comments on the matter. 

An ICC spokesperson revealed that Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB Management Committee Chairman and the designated representative of the host board, was invited to the ceremony but did not 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 explained.

The ICC further emphasised that this protocol has been consistently followed across all its tournaments and is not unique to the Champions Trophy.

The absence of a PCB official on stage was solely due to the non-attendance of the board’s designated representative.

The Champions Trophy final was held in Dubai after India’s matches were relocated from Pakistan due to the Indian government’s refusal to send its cricket team to Pakistan.

While most of the tournament was hosted in Pakistan, the final’s location in Dubai raised questions about the host nation’s visibility during key moments of the event.