Asia Cup row: BCCI writes to ACC chief to return India’s trophy
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New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally written to Mohsin Naqvi, President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), requesting that the Asia Cup trophy be handed over to the Indian cricket team, which recently won the title in Dubai.
Following India’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the summit clash, the team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi during the post-match presentation ceremony. The refusal was due to Naqvi holding multiple roles, including ACC chief, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
According to a media report, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board is awaiting a response from Naqvi. “If there is no response, we will escalate the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) with an official mail. The board is proceeding step by step and will continue to pursue the matter,” he added.
Ahead of the presentation, the Indian team management had enquired about who would present the silverware and had indicated their willingness to receive it from Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni. However, the proposal was reportedly rejected by Naqvi.
During the presentation ceremony, Indian players Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage. When Naqvi stepped onto the dais, the Indian team made it clear they would not accept the trophy from him. Moments later, the trophy was discreetly removed from the venue, leaving the champions without their prize.
The BCCI had previously raised strong objections during the ACC meeting on September 30 regarding the decision not to hand over the winner’s trophy to India and the manner in which the ACC chairman handled the post-match presentation ceremony.
BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla, representing India at the meeting, confronted Naqvi directly, reportedly saying: “Why was the trophy not handed over to the winning team? The ACC trophy is not the personal property of any individual.”
With IANS inputs