The coveted Asia Cup trophy, rightfully belonging to champions India, remains undelivered, sparking a significant cricketing controversy. Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistani head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), has refused to hand over the trophy. This refusal persists despite repeated appeals from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which are backed by the cricket boards of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
The dispute has reached an impasse, with Naqvi demanding that a BCCI representative personally collect the trophy from the ACC’s headquarters in Dubai. The BCCI, however, has firmly rejected this condition, asserting that the trophy should be presented to the winning team. Consequently, the Indian board intends to escalate this unresolved issue to the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting for resolution.
According to an ACC source, a formal request was made to the ACC president last week by the BCCI secretary, Rajeev Shukla (who also represents the BCCI at the ACC), along with delegates from the Sri Lanka and Afghanistan cricket boards, concerning the trophy’s handover to India. The response, however, was an unwavering insistence that a BCCI official travel to Dubai for collection. Given the BCCI’s firm stance against this demand, the matter is now poised for discussion and a potential decision at the ICC meeting.
Notably, former BCCI secretary Jay Shah currently holds a leadership position within the ICC, which may influence the proceedings.
The trophy’s current retention at the ACC headquarters stems from an extraordinary turn of events at the presentation ceremony. Following their victory, the Indian team notably declined to accept the trophy directly from Mohsin Naqvi, who subsequently departed with it. It is worth mentioning that Naqvi holds a dual role as both the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and the country’s interior minister.
Adding to the tension, the Indian team had also opted not to engage in handshakes with Pakistani players throughout the Asia Cup tournament. This decision was made in solemn remembrance of the victims of the tragic Pahalgam terror attack. The three-week tournament saw the rival teams face off every Sunday, each match steeped in heightened anticipation.