'ICC Showed Us The Mirror'

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final ignited a firestorm of controversy, with former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal leading the charge.

The crux of the issue? The glaring absence of any Pakistan Cricket Board representative during the prize distribution ceremony, despite Pakistan hosting the prestigious tournament.

This oversight prompted the PCB to lodge a formal complaint, seeking answers from the ICC regarding the exclusion of officials, notably Tournament Director and PCB COO Sumair Ahmed.

Akmal, deeply critical of the perceived snub, didn't mince words.

'The ICC showed us the mirror. The tournament's director was there. He was available, and why wasn't he in the ceremony? It is because we don't deserve to be there. We are not playing good cricket,' Akmal said.

'Minnow teams have shown us the mirror. No one discussed how Pakistan hosted the tournament. If we play such cricket, we will be treated like this. If you play for yourself, there will be no respect.'

The final presentation saw BCCI President Roger Binny, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, ICC Chairman Jay Shah and New Zealand Cricket CEO Roger Twose on stage, leaving Sumair Ahmed, despite his presence, conspicuously absent.

This fueled outrage, with former pacer Shoaib Akhtar also expressing his discontent.

'India won the Champions Trophy but I noticed something odd. No official from the Pakistan Cricket Board was present during the prize distribution ceremony,' Shoaib remarked.

'Pakistan hosted the tournament, yet not a single PCB representative was there to hand out trophies.'

'It is beyond me. Think about it please. This is a global stage, and someone from the PCB should have been present.'

'Sadly, I didn't see any PCB official there. We were the hosts, yet nobody was there. It's something to think about.'

This incident adds to the existing tensions between the PCB and BCCI, particularly regarding India's refusal to tour Pakistan.

The hybrid model adopted for the tournament, with India playing in Dubai, further complicated matters.

• Champions Trophy 2025