Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his astonishment at the absence of any representatives from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the trophy presentation ceremony following India's victory in the Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India secured a four-wicket victory over New Zealand, claiming their third Champions Trophy title. Notably, ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI president Roger Binny, and secretary Devajit Saikia were present on the podium to award the medals, while Pakistan, as the tournament's host, had no representative in attendance.

Although Pakistan was designated as the official host of the tournament, political tensions between the two nations led to India's decision to refrain from visiting. Consequently, the ICC implemented a hybrid model, allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai, including the final. The location of the Champions Trophy final was contingent upon India's performance in the semifinals, and with their advancement to the final, Lahore was no longer considered as a venue.

Akhtar, known for his candid opinions, was taken aback by the lack of PCB representation at the ceremony. 

"India has won the ICC Champions Trophy. However, it was peculiar that there was no representative from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the presentation ceremony. Pakistan is the host of the Champions Trophy, yet no one was present to award the trophy. It is incomprehensible. Consider this: it was a global event, and representation was expected, but unfortunately, I did not see any member of the Pakistan Cricket Board there. We hosted the tournament, yet there was no one to represent us. It is disheartening to witness this," Akhtar stated in a video shared on his social media platforms.

BCCI president Binny presented the white jackets to India and the medals to match officials, while ICC chairman Shah handed the trophy to Rohit Sharma and gave the medals to the Indian players.

Pakistan knocked out in group stage

The Pakistan team, having entered the tournament as the reigning champions, faced elimination in the group stage, concluding their campaign without securing a victory. They suffered defeats against India and New Zealand, while their match against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain.

In contrast, a remarkable half-century from captain Rohit Sharma, outstanding performances from spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, along with KL Rahul's composed finishing innings, propelled India to victory in this crucial match.

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