Despite a new letter from the BCCI, supported by the boards of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistani head of the Asian Cricket Council, has refused to give over the Asia Cup trophy, which has not yet reached victors India.
Naqvi has demanded that a BCCI delegate pick up the trophy from him at the ACC headquarters in Dubai, but the Indian board has rejected that demand, a PTI report quoted a senior ACC source as saying. Next month, the BCCI will raise this issue at an ICC meeting.
“The BCCI secretary, BCCI’s ACC representative Rajeev Shukla and representatives of other member boards including Sri Lanka Cricket and Afghanistan had written to the ACC president last week over handing the trophy to India,” the ACC source said, according to the report.
“But his response was that someone from BCCI should come to Dubai and take the trophy from him. So that matter has still not moved. BCCI has made its stance clear that it won’t be receiving the trophy from him. So the matter will most likely be decided in the ICC meeting,” he added.
Former BCCI secretary Jay Shah heads the ICC.
In an unexpected turn of events, Naqvi walked away with the trophy after the Indian team refused to accept it from him during the presentation ceremony. Since then, it has stayed at the ACC offices. In addition, Naqvi serves as his nation’s interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
To show their respect for the victims of the Pahalgam terror tragedy, the Indians declined to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during the Asia Cup.
During the three-week event, the two teams faced off every Sunday, with India winning all the matches, including the final.
