India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final of the Champions Trophy and won the title after 12 years. The PCB was the host of the tournament, but after India refused to go to Pakistan, the ICC decided to hold all of India’s matches in Dubai, including the final. The trophy was given to the winning team by ICC President Jay Shah, and no PCB representative was present during this time. At the award ceremony, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Roger Binny presented white coats to the Indian players and medals to the match officials. BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket CEO Roger Tousey were also present on the stage. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had also expressed displeasure over the matter.The International Cricket Council (ICC) has thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for successfully hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai. India played all their matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Men in Blue won the title after a 4-wicket win over New Zealand on March 9. This was Pakistan’s first global tournament in 29 years. Matches were played in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Dubai.ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said, “We would like to thank and congratulate the Pakistan Cricket Board for successfully hosting the Champions Trophy 2025.” He said, “This event was important for the PCB as it was the first multi-team cricket tournament played in the country since 1996. Everyone involved in the smooth conduct of the matches should be proud of their efforts. The ICC would also like to thank the Emirates Cricket Board for hosting five matches in Dubai and continuing to support the ICC in organizing the men’s and women’s tournaments. Fans around the world watched ICC events and followed them in stadiums or on TV channels. Thanks to the eight participating countries for making this event a great one, and congratulations to India for winning the trophy.”There was a lot of controversy from the start to the end of the ICC Champions Trophy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ignored its CEO and Champions Trophy tournament director, Sumair Ahmed Syed, during the closing ceremony of the tournament in Dubai. The board will register its protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for doing so.A PCB source said on Monday that board chairman Mohsin Naqvi is not satisfied with the explanation given by the ICC in this regard. The source said, “The ICC has clarified that it had made preparations for Mohsin Naqvi to come on stage, so when he did not come in the final, it changed its plan.” The PCB has rejected this explanation and said that the ICC had made several mistakes regarding Pakistan’s status as the host country during the tournament. This included changing the logo of the Champions Trophy 2025 in the live telecast of the match played between India and Bangladesh and playing the Indian national anthem in the match played between Australia and England in Lahore.The controversy has escalated over not inviting the representative of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to the award ceremony of the Champions Trophy. The PCB will lodge a protest with the ICC over its CEO and Champions Trophy tournament director Sumair Ahmed Syed being ignored during the ceremony in Dubai. A PCB source said chairman Mohsin Naqvi was not satisfied with the ICC’s explanation for not calling Ahmed on the dais during the ceremony.Talking on this topic, Vinay Kumar, a former Ranji player, said, “The ICC’s message is significant, as it acknowledges the PCB’s efforts in hosting a successful tournament despite the controversy surrounding the ceremony. ICC has always been committed to promoting competitive sportsmanship and has always promoted and recognized the achievements and efforts of member boards.”
Reporting to True to Life News