Pakistan hosted the recently concluded Champions Trophy 2025, but neither did they make it to the finale, nor did anyone from the PCB attend the final-game ceremony in Dubai - the venue for the summit clash between India and New Zealand. With embarrassment written all over it, several former stars, including ex-gloveman Kamran Akmal, spoke in rage, commenting that it never felt like Pakistan staged this event; instead, it looked like an IPL in Dubai.

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The BCCI denied sending its team across the border for the eight-team tournament due to security concerns, later persuading the apex body to convince the host board (the PCB) to accept the hybrid model, which they previously did during the 2023 Asia Cup, to confirm India’s participation. After initial refusals to do so, the PCB agreed to it; however, they did put some stipulations, which the Indian board had to accept in revert.

Meanwhile, during the closing presentation ceremony on Sunday (March 9) no PCB representative was present at the podium, raising questions about the panel selection by the ICC. Though the PCB wrote to the ICC seeking official word over the exclusion of their officials from the podium, Kamran strongly criticised this, saying the ICC showed the mirror to Pakistan (as to) where they stand in international cricket.

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“The ICC showed us the mirror. The tournament’s director (Sumair) 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. 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,” Akmal said on his YouTube channel.

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Besides, even though the BCCI president Roger Binny, ICC chair Jay Shah, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket’s CEO Roger Twose were present to hand out the awards, Sumair Ahmed, the PCB’s chief operating officer, who was also present, was nowhere to be seen.

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‘Felt like an IPL event in Dubai’

Kamran argued that Pakistan was the designated host of this tournament, and therefore they should have entertained the crowd, adding, let alone the PCB representatives, popular singer Atif Aslam, who produced the anthem, should have been there entertaining everyone during the mid-innings.

"It was our event; we hosted it. It should’ve been our entertainers who should’ve gone to perform in the mid-innings break, too. Atif Aslam made the anthem, he should’ve gone there. There was no representation from our country. It felt like it was an IPL event, the way they organised it in Dubai,” Akmal added.

(With inputs from agencies)