Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal spoke on the controversy of the lack of a Pakistan representative at the prize distribution ceremony of the just-concluded Champions Trophy. In his opinion, Pakistan did not deserve to be at the ceremony, citing the country’s poor cricket performance.
Kamran Akmal Criticizes Pakistan’s Absence in Prize Ceremony
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is protesting against the International Cricket Council (ICC) for not including an official from the host country at the prize ceremony after India’s win over New Zealand in the final. Now, the PCB is asking the ICC for an official explanation about the matter.
PCB Chief Executive and tournament director Sumair Ahmad Syed attended the venue in Dubai. As PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was ill and could not attend, Sumair was the appointed representative. He was, however, nowhere to be found at the official ceremony, which caused an uproar from the PCB.
Akmal had this to say about the incident: “Pakistan’s cricket standards have gone down a lot, and hence this is not a nice thing.”.
The ICC showed us the mirror. 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,” Akmal stated on his YouTube channel.
“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,” he further added.
Miscommunication Between PCB and ICC?
Recent news indicates the PCB has also asked for a formal explanation from the ICC in this regard. The PCB did not notify the ICC that Sumair would be substituting Naqvi at the ceremony, ESPNcricinfo reports. The PCB, however, maintains that it was the ICC’s duty to call them for clarification.
While Pakistan looks for answers, this scandal has again brought to the fore the question of the country’s cricketing standards, with many voices, including Akmal’s, demanding drastic improvements.
