The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) plans to officially protest to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the omission of captain Salman Agha from the promotional poster for the T20 World Cup. The poster, unveiled on Thursday to announce the start of ticket sales on December 11, includes five captains: Suryakumar Yadav from India, Dasun Shanaka from Sri Lanka, Mitchell Marsh from Australia, Harry Brook from England, and Aiden Markram from South Africa.
According to Telecom Asia Sport, sources from the PCB described the omission as both "surprising" and "concerning." A PCB official mentioned in the report that the exclusion of their captain Salman's image from the poster indicates a bias against Pakistan, and the Board plans to file a protest with the ICC.
Salman was earlier omitted from major promotional efforts. In August, broadcasters Sony Pictures excluded him from the Asia Cup 2025 poster and trailer, but this was later amended following a strong objection from the PCB. The protest during the Asia Cup was particularly significant as it was spearheaded by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
The report mentioned that during the Asia Cup, the PCB's protest was effective due to the Board's influence. However, in this situation, the ICC might not be as responsive. A former Pakistani player, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed a stronger opinion. 'Why is this surprising?' he remarked. 'India dominates the ICC and excludes Pakistani players from their promotional activities, posters, and advertisements.'