‘ICC showed us mirror’: Ex-Pakistan star admits country ‘didn’t deserve’ to be on stage after Champions Trophy final

Pakistan not being represented on the podium during the presentation ceremony of the ICC Champions Trophy final despite hosting the tournament has led to the tournament ending on a controversial note. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has now said that the team’s poor performances in the tournament and in other matches leading up to it is what has led to this situation.

“The ICC showed us the mirror,” Akmal said on his YouTube channel. “The tournament’s director (Sumair) was there. He was available, and why wasn’t he in the ceremony? It is because we don’t deserve to be there. We are not playing good cricket. Minow teams have shown us the mirror.”

“No one discussed how Pakistan hosted the tournament. If we play such cricket, we will be treated like this. If you play for yourself, there will be no respect.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed an official complaint with the ICC on Tuesday after controversy erupted when Sumair Ahmed, the PCB’s chief operating officer and the tournament director of the Champions Trophy, was ignored for the trophy presentation ceremony at the end of the final, in which India beat New Zealand to win the title for a second time.

While the ICC didn’t put out an official response, PTI cited sources as saying that the tournament protocol left cricket’s global governing body with no choice but to snub Sumair from the ceremony. “If the PCB mandarins look up, even ICC CEO Geoff Allardice wasn’t present on stage. The reason is protocol,” said the ICC source. “Sumair Ahmed is an employee of the PCB and not an office-bearer. Also please check when has a tournament director been on stage for presentation?

“We can give an example. ICC’s new head of operations and communications Gaurav Saxena was once Tournament Director for Asia Cup in Dubai. Was he on stage for final presentation,” the source added.

Pakistan’s forgettable Champions Trophy campaign

Pakistan came into the tournament as hosts and defending champions, having won the title against all odds in 2017. However, they ended up looking out of their depth in the two matches they managed to play against New Zealand and India. Pakistan lost the opening match of the tournament against the Kiwis by 60 runs in Lahore.

They then lost to India by six wickets. The two results all but sealed their fate and New Zealand’s subsequent victory over Bangladesh confirmed that Pakistan were knocked out of the tournament in the group stage. Their last match against Bangladesh was washed out.