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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the absence of a representative from the host nation during the prize distribution ceremony during the Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, according to Geo News.
PCB Chief Executive Sumair Ahmad Syed, who was present at the venue, wasn't present during the official ceremony. Since PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was unwell and unavailable to attend the ceremony, Sumair represented the host nation. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia, president Roger Binny, and ICC chairman Jay Shah were present during the ceremony. When Geo News approached the ICC, the body's spokesperson claimed that Naqvi was invited to the ceremony, but he did not attend. "The ICC only invites the head of the host board, such as the president, vice president, chairman, or CEO -- to participate in the awards ceremony. Other board officials, regardless of their presence at the venue, are not part of the stage proceedings," the ICC spokesperson told Geo News. The PCB has also demanded a formal explanation from the ICC regarding the justification of the entire situation. The Pakistan board has also asked for justification for other incidents that unfolded during the event. According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB did not inform the ICC that Sumair would take Naqvi's place in the ceremony. However, the Pakistan board believes the onus was on ICC to contact them and inquire about Naqvi's replacement. Overall, this is the third time the PCB has approached the ICC for an explanation of incidents they believe have undermined Pakistan's status as the tournament's official host. According to ESPNcricinfo, during India's campaign opener against Bangladesh, Pakistan's name was omitted from the logo on the official broadcast. The following day, India's national anthem was briefly played before the match between Australia and England kicked off at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. According to PCB, in response to the incident, the ICC said the issue of the logo was due to an error, and the anthem mix-up was due to a DJ error. (ANI)
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