The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking a formal explanation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the absence of its representative from the closing ceremony of the recently-concluded Champions Trophy in Dubai.

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India secured their third Champions Trophy title on Sunday (March 9) with a four-wicket win over New Zealand. However, controversy arose when PCB Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sumair Ahmed, who also served as the tournament director, was not invited on stage for the final presentation.

"We have lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, as this incident is completely unacceptable to us," a PCB official said on Tuesday (March 11).

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During the ceremony, BCCI President Roger Binny presented the white jackets to the Indian players, while ICC Chairman Jay Shah handed the trophy to captain Rohit Sharma and awarded medals to the winners. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket CEO Roger Twose were also present on stage.

"The explanations given for excluding our COO and tournament director make no sense. We are awaiting a formal clarification and an apology," the PCB official added.

Expressing frustration over the matter, the official called it a 'blatant disregard' for Pakistan's role as the host nation. He emphasised that the Pakistan Cricket Board had informed the ICC in advance about Sumair Ahmed's presence at the ceremony, and he had even interacted with ICC Chairman Jay Shah and BCCI officials after India's win.

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"Claims that only CEOs, chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, or secretaries are invited to such ceremonies are illogical. We demand a public clarification and assurance that such biased treatment will not be repeated. Otherwise, we will escalate this matter to the board of governors," the official warned.

(With inputs from agencies)