It is unlikely that the ICC will provide the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with any "formal clarification" over the alleged snub at the Champions Trophy closing ceremony in Dubai. India won the competition for the third time on Sunday after defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the title match. When Sumair Ahmed, the PCB's chief operations officer and the tournament director for the Champions Trophy, was not invited to the platform for the final presentation, uproar broke out.
"We have filed a formal complaint with the ICC as what happened is unacceptable to us," a PCB official said on Tuesday.
However, as per a report from PTI, ICC will not be giving any formal explanation to PCB.
"If the PCB mandarins look up, even ICC CEO Geoff Allardice wasn't present on stage. The reason is protocol," an ICC source told PTI.
"Sumair Ahmed is an employee of the PCB and not an office-bearer. Also please check when has a tournament director been on stage for presentation? "We can give an example. ICC's new head of operations and communications Gaurav Saxena was once Tournament Director for Asia Cup in Dubai. Was he on stage for final presentation," ICC source added.
While ICC chairman Jay Shah offered the trophy to captain Rohit Sharma and the medals to the winners, BCCI president Roger Binny gave the white jackets to the Indian players and the medals to the match officials. Roger Twose, the CEO of New Zealand Cricket, and Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, were also on stage. It should be noted that Binny serves as the Alternate Director and Saikia is the BCCI Director on the ICC board.
"The reasons being given for not having our COO and tournament director on stage for the final presentation make no sense to us. We are waiting for a formal clarification/apology," the PCB official said. "We are appalled by this blatant disregard for Pakistan's role as the host nation," the official said.
"Giving explanations that ICC only invites CEOs, chairmen, vice-chairmen or secretaries for the ceremony is illogical. We want a full public clarification and an assurance that such biased and unjust treatment will not happen again or we will push this matter to the Board of governors," he added.