Explanation of PCB Pakistan’s name omission not convinced by ICC’s “technical error”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed concern to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the omission of Pakistan’s name from Champions Trophy Branding during a match between India and Dubai’s Bangladesh on Thursday.

Despite Pakistan being the official host of the 2025 tournament, the event logo that appears on the broadcast featured the title “Champions Trophy 2025” without the name of Pakistan.

This omission is in contrast to previous broadcasts, including opening matches for Pakistan-New Zealand tournaments in Karachi, where both the event name and Pakistani name appeared. Similarly, the branding of today’s match between Afghanistan and South Africa in Karachi featured the Pakistan name.

The PCB expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation provided by the ICC, which described the omission as a “technical error.” The ICC assured the PCB that this was an isolated issue and would not affect future matches, but the PCB remains unconvinced.

Given that event graphics are usually prepared in advance, the PCB is questioning why Pakistan’s name is missing during Indian-Bangladesh matches, especially after appearing in the opening game.

The ICC has made it clear that this glitch will not affect future games of the tournament, whether it is being held in Pakistan or in the UAE. The next famous match set on Sunday is expected to face India in Pakistan, with millions of viewers tuning.

The issue with the venues of the tournament was the key to the competition leading up to the event. Pakistan initially requested that all matches be hosted with tournament rights.

However, the Indian Cricket Committee (BCCI) has notified the PCB that the Indian government’s team has not given permission to travel to Pakistan. As a result, a neutral venue was agreed for the Indian match, but the Pakistan match will be held in neutral locations for the next three years as part of the arrangement.