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The absence of a Pakistani representative at the Champions Trophy presentation event on Sunday in Dubai disappointed legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. After India overcame New Zealand in an exciting final, Akhtar said a delegate from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ought to have been there to present the trophy to India. Despite Pakistan being the tournament's official host, Shoaib Akhtar said in a video on X that it was disappointing to see no Pakistani representative at the momentous event in Dubai.
Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), gave the Champions Trophy to the victorious captain, Rohit Sharma. Roger Binny, head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), presented the champions' recognizable white blazers. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia were among the other dignitaries on stage.
Shoaib Akhtar expresses disappointment
"India has won the ICC Champions Trophy. There was one odd thing: no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the presentation ceremony. Pakistan is the host of the Champions Trophy, but there was no representative of Pakistan who 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," Akhtar said.
Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the PCB, was surprisingly not present at the presenting ceremony. Notably, on March 5, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla went to Lahore to see South Africa and New Zealand play in the second semi-final.
Since India having advanced to the final, Pakistan was unable to host the Champions Trophy final. Lahore was supposed to host the final solely in the event that India did not advance, according to the hybrid model that was decided upon after India declined to play in Pakistan. Even though the tournament marked the return of a major ICC event to Pakistan after 29 years, the cricket team was only able to play one match at home. Pakistan was soundly defeated by India in Dubai after losing to New Zealand in Karachi. Rain in Rawalpindi last month caused their last Group A game to be canceled.
Nevertheless, India won the event with a resounding victory and was undefeated throughout. In the final, Rohit Sharma took the lead and scored a vital 76 to help India successfully chase 252. With a strong bowling effort led by spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, New Zealand was never able to escape the spin choke.
