Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not attend the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual quarterly meetings in Harare, weeks after Pakistan hosted a successful Champions Trophy where they believed they faced embarrassment during the final’s presentation ceremony. His absence comes at a time when the board is still seeking answers from the ICC over the lack of PCB representation on stage during the final in Dubai.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister, reportedly stayed back due to pending official work in Pakistan. In his place, PCB CEO Sumair Ahmed represented the board at the ICC meetings.
“Mohsin Naqvi couldn’t go because of work at home, and Sumair Ahmed, the board’s CEO, attended the ICC meetings,” a senior official said.
The Champions Trophy concluded on March 9, but controversy followed when no PCB official was invited on stage despite Pakistan being the host. The PCB had formally written to the ICC multiple times asking for an explanation but has not received a response.
According to sources, the ICC maintains an informal policy that only its Chairman, board members, or heads of state can be present during the presentation ceremony. However, this has not been officially acknowledged in public statements.
Interestingly, Sumair Ahmed was also the only senior PCB representative present in Dubai during the final, raising questions about the board’s visibility during its own hosted event.
As things stand, both the ICC and PCB have gone silent and the questions surrounding Pakistan’s exclusion from the CT final stage remain unanswered.
