DUBAI: The standoff between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chair Mohsin Naqvi over the Asia Cup trophy continues, as the Pakistani administrator refused to hand over the winners’ prize and medals to India during an ACC meeting held on Tuesday in Dubai.
The meeting was attended by BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and former treasurer Ashish Shelar, who pressed Naqvi to resolve the matter and send the trophy to the ACC office. However, the ACC chair remained evasive, leaving the issue unresolved.
Naqvi avoids congratulating India
According to officials present, Naqvi did not even acknowledge India’s tournament win in his opening remarks. It was only after Shelar intervened that he reluctantly congratulated India for winning the multi-nation event.
“There was no intention to resolve any matter from PCB and ACC Chair Naqvi. He had all the time to talk about everything under the sun, but didn’t acknowledge India winning. It was very strange to see how he conducted himself in the meeting,” an official said.
Trophy and medals withheld
The controversy stems from the Asia Cup final on Sunday, when India defeated Pakistan but never received the trophy and winners’ medals. Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), allegedly left the venue with the silverware.
The Indian players refused to accept the prize directly from Naqvi, who remained adamant about retaining the trophy. The resulting chaos delayed the presentation ceremony, and the champions left without the customary honours.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Shelar reportedly asked Naqvi to at least send the trophy and medals to the ACC office so that BCCI could arrange logistics for bringing them back to India. Naqvi did not agree to this request either.
BCCI to escalate at ICC meet
The BCCI has taken a strong stance on the issue. Board secretary Devajit Saikia had already indicated that India would lodge a protest during the ICC’s annual meeting in Dubai later this year.
“Shelar put his foot down and asked him to send the trophy and medals to the ACC office, and BCCI will themselves arrange the logistics of getting it back to India. Imagine, he didn’t even agree to that,” the official said.
Naqvi was reminded that since the Asia Cup is an ICC-approved tournament, India reserves the right to escalate the matter to the global governing body.
What lies ahead
The matter is expected to feature prominently at the ICC meeting later this year, where BCCI representatives are likely to demand accountability. Meanwhile, ACC members are set to meet again in the coming weeks in an attempt to resolve the impasse.
For now, the Asia Cup trophy and medals remain out of India’s reach, despite their emphatic victory in the final. The episode has added a fresh layer of tension to already strained cricketing ties between the two countries.