Dubai witnessed an electrifying conclusion to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, as India triumphed over New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling final on Sunday. 

However, amid the celebrations, an unexpected controversy arose—there was no representation from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at the presentation ceremony, despite Pakistan being the designated hosts of the tournament.

Former Pakistan pace legends Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar voiced their disappointment over the absence of PCB officials on such a prestigious stage. 

Akram, speaking on the Dressing Room show, expressed his surprise at the lack of representation, questioning whether PCB officials were not invited or if they had deliberately chosen to stay away.

"As far as I know, Chairman Saab (PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi) wasn't well, but the people that came from there (PCB) were Sumair Ahmad Syed (Chief Operating Officer of PCB) and Usman Wahla (Director of International for PCB). But no one was there on the stage," Akram remarked. 

"We were the hosts, weren't we? How come even the COO of PCB or whoever was representing the chairman wasn't on stage? Were they not invited? I don't know what the story is. It definitely looked odd to me while sitting here. A Pakistani representative should have been there, whether they handed out the cup or not."

Echoing Akram's concerns, Shoaib Akhtar took to social media platform X to express his dismay, stating, "India have won the ICC Champions Trophy. There was one odd thing: no one from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the presentation ceremony. Pakistan were 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."

The absence of PCB representatives was particularly glaring as ICC Chairman Jay Shah handed the coveted trophy to India's victorious captain, Rohit Sharma, while BCCI President Roger Binny and Secretary Devajit Saikia were present on the podium. This raised questions over whether PCB officials were deliberately sidelined or if internal board decisions led to their no-show.