Islamabad: Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar expressed his concerns regarding the lack of representation from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) during the trophy presentation of the Champions Trophy 2025 held in Dubai.
Akhtar voiced his disappointment, questioning the absence of any PCB official to present the trophy, especially considering that Pakistan was the official host nation for the tournament.
It is important to note that Pakistan was set to host this year's Champions Trophy. However, due to 'security concerns,' India declined to travel to Pakistan, resulting in the 'Men in Blue' playing all their matches in Dubai.
As India advanced to the knockout stage while Pakistan was eliminated in the group phase, both the semi-final and final matches were subsequently held in Dubai.
"India has won the ICC Champions Trophy... I noticed something unusual: there was no representative from the PCB present. My question is—why was there no one from the PCB to present or hand over the trophy? Pakistan was the host nation, yet no one was there. It’s disheartening to see this," Akhtar stated in a video shared on X.
India secured their third ICC Champions Trophy title with a decisive four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Key contributions came from captain Rohit Sharma, who scored a brilliant half-century, along with solid performances from Shreyas Iyer and outstanding bowling from spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, leading India to triumph in this crucial match.
In the match, New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first.
The Kiwis began their innings strongly, establishing a 57-run partnership between Will Young (15) and Rachin Ravindra (37 off 29 balls, featuring four boundaries and a six). However, Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) managed to slow their momentum, leaving New Zealand at 75/3.
A subsequent 57-run collaboration between Daryl Mitchell (63 off 101 balls, including three fours) and Michael Bracewell propelled the Kiwis towards a total exceeding 150 runs. Bracewell contributed significantly with an unbeaten 53 off 40 balls, which included three fours and two sixes, helping New Zealand reach 251/7 in their allotted 50 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) were the leading wicket-takers for India, while Mohammed Shami also claimed a wicket but gave away 74 runs in his nine overs.
In response, India started their chase with a solid 105-run partnership between captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (31 off 50 balls, including a six). Despite the quick dismissals of Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rohit (76 off 83 balls, with seven fours and three sixes), which left India at 122/3, Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Axar Patel (29 off 40 balls, with a four and a six) formed a crucial 61-run partnership.
After Axar was dismissed following the team's crossing of the 200-run mark, KL Rahul (34* off 33 balls, with a four and a six) and Hardik Pandya (18) successfully guided India to victory with six wickets in hand and one over remaining.
For New Zealand, Michael Bracewell (2/28) and Mitchell Santner (2/46) were the standout bowlers.
