New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally requested the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to hand over the Asia Cup trophy to India at the earliest, sending an email to ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi. BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia told India Today that if Naqvi delays or refuses, the matter will be escalated to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
India had clinched the Asia Cup on September 28, defeating Pakistan in the final. However, the Indian team had refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, in protest against the Pulwama terror attack. Following the refusal, Naqvi reportedly took the trophy to a Dubai hotel and later left it at the ACC office in Dubai before returning to Pakistan.
Saikia said, “We are awaiting a response from Naqvi. If we don’t get a positive reply, or if it’s negative, the matter will be raised with ICC.”
The controversy began after the final when Naqvi, as ACC chairman, attended the presentation ceremony. According to ACC presenter Simon Dool, the Indian team was unwilling to take awards from him. While the team was ready to receive the trophy from another ACC official, Naqvi himself blocked the presentation, taking the trophy and medals with him when the ceremony concluded.
Throughout the tournament, Indian players had refrained from shaking hands with Pakistani players, who reportedly made repeated 6-0 gestures referencing a disputed claim about Operation Sindhur.
Following the incident, the BCCI had strongly protested at the ACC Annual General Meeting over India not being presented the trophy despite winning the tournament. Naqvi, however, defended himself, saying he had no prior written communication about the Indian team’s stance and added, “I was standing there like a cartoon for no reason.”
