MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is gearing up to formally protest against Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi. This follows a contentious incident in Dubai on Sunday where Naqvi reportedly walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after the Indian team refused to accept it from him during the presentation ceremony.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia clarified the board’s stance to TOI, stating, “We had consciously decided not to receive the trophy from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister. However, this absolutely does not grant him the right to simply take the trophy.”
Saikia confirmed that India’s representatives, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla and Ashish Shelar, are slated to raise a strong objection regarding this issue at the upcoming ACC meeting in Dubai on Tuesday.
“Our representatives will formally protest the ACC chairperson’s illegitimate retention of the trophy. He has no authority to keep it,” Saikia asserted.
Should the ACC fail to address the BCCI’s serious concerns, the matter will be escalated to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“I sincerely hope that Naqvi will act responsibly and return both the trophy and the medals to us. We intend to lodge a very serious and forceful protest against the ACC chairperson’s actions at the next ICC conference, scheduled for the first week of November in Dubai,” Saikia added.
Saikia also expressed strong disapproval over the significant delay in the presentation ceremony. “We were there with the medals, so this entire situation is truly unfortunate and highly unsportsmanlike. We expect the trophy and medals to be returned to India without further delay,” he commented.
Notably, no senior BCCI officials attended the Asia Cup final in Dubai, as all Board office-bearers and former India women’s team captains were committed to attending the opening ceremony of the Women’s World Cup in Guwahati.
After India clinched a thrilling five-wicket victory against Pakistan in the final on Sunday night, Suryakumar Yadav and his team were left celebrating on the podium without the coveted trophy.
The controversy initially led to the presentation ceremony being postponed by approximately 90 minutes and concluded with the trophy being carried away by the presenter, rather than being handed to the victorious captain.
Furthermore, in announcing a combined cash prize of Rs 21 crore for India’s triumphant squad, including players and support staff, following their record ninth Asia Cup win, Saikia drew a parallel between the team’s success and “Operation Sindoor” in May, which occurred in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attacks. “We are immensely proud of our team. Their performance on the cricket pitch was brilliant, mirroring how our armed forces valiantly protected our country at the border in May. This spirit has now been replicated in Dubai, marking a momentous occasion for Indian cricket,” Saikia concluded.