"Was he not invited on the stage?" - Pakistan legend questions PCB official’s absence at 2025 Champions Trophy final presentation ceremony

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was surprised to see no Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official at the presentation ceremony of the 2025 Champions Trophy on Sunday, March 9. Pakistan were the host of the ICC event, though all of India's matches, including the final, were played in Dubai.

The Men in Blue clinched the coveted trophy with a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the summit clash. Akram revealed that PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi was not present at the final because he was unwell.

The 58-year-old, however, disclosed that two PCB officials attended the final. He emphasized that the person representing Naqvi should have been called on the stage during the presentation ceremony, as Pakistan were the official host.

Speaking on the show 'The DP World Dressing Room,' Akram said (via YouTube channel 'Sports Central'):

"From what I have learnt, the chairman wasn't well, but the people from the PCB who were present in the final were Sumair Ahmad and Usman Wahla. These two guys were present, but neither of them was on the stage." (4:12)

He added:

"The question now is that we were the hosts, weren't we? How come even the CEO of the Pakistan Cricket Board or whoever it may be who was representing that chairman was not on the stage? Was he not invited on the stage? I don't know what the story is, but it definitely looked odd to me as well while sitting here. It was very important to have a Pakistani on the stage. Even if he didn't present the cup for the medal, somebody should have been there."

India captain Rohit Sharma was adjudged the Player of the Match in the 2025 Champions Trophy final. He scored 76 runs off 83 deliveries, helping his team successfully chase down the 252-run target.

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Pakistan failed to win a single match at 2025 Champions Trophy

There were a lot of expectations from Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy as, apart from being the hosts, they were also the defending champions. However, Muhammad Rizwan and company let their fans down.

Pakistan kicked off their campaign with a 60-run defeat to New Zealand. They then went down against arch-rivals India, suffering a six-wicket loss.

Their final group match against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain. Pakistan suffered an embarrassing group-stage exit, failing to win a single match in the edition.