The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal protest against the International Cricket Council (ICC) after its representative was absent during the prize distribution ceremony of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai. Despite being the official host of the tournament, no PCB official was present on stage, a move the board described as a “blatant disregard” for Pakistan’s hosting rights.
PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed, who served as the Tournament Director, was present at the final between India and New Zealand on March 9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, he was not included in the post-match ceremony, while ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, and others took the stage. The PCB has termed this exclusion “unjustifiable” and raised concerns over fairness in global cricket governance.
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The PCB has formally complained to the ICC, seeking an explanation and a public apology. The board also accused the ICC of double standards, pointing out that ICC CEO Geoff Allardice, who held a similar designation, participated in earlier prize distributions during the tournament.
The controversy has drawn attention to ICC’s governance practices, with questions arising over whether the ceremony exclusion was a protocol violation or deliberate. The PCB has escalated the issue, and tensions between the PCB and ICC are growing, with calls for a thorough investigation.
