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The BCCI and Pakistan Cricket Board are set for a confrontation at the upcoming ICC meeting next month, as PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi remains firm on personally handing over the Asia Cup trophy to India in his role as head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). In his response to the BCCI and other ACC member nations, Naqvi expressed his willingness to organise a ceremony on November 10 in Dubai, where a BCCI representative and any available Indian team player can receive the trophy from him. “The ACC trophy rightly belongs to the Indian cricket team and is being held in trust until a BCCI office holder, along with any available participating player, can collect the same from the ACC President,” Naqvi stated in his reply. “Such a collection would, of course, be accompanied by much fanfare and coverage, as there should be no deviation from established practices and no precedent that undermines the spirit of the game we all love.” The ICC is led by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah. Naqvi’s reply followed the BCCI’s recent communication to the ACC regarding the Asia Cup trophy issue, which was supported by the boards of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. The response highlights the high level of mistrust and tension between the BCCI and PCB. “…as regards the remainder of your letter, slanderous as it may be and digressing as it does from the same values you highlighted, the office of the ACC President will not indulge in petty politics that aim to pacify select extremist groups,” the reply further reads. “The true state of affairs is that there was never any official communication shared with the ACC office or the Tournament Director highlighting any position or concern of the BCCI with respect to the prize distribution ceremony. “It was only when the ceremony was about to take place and distinguished guests had taken their place on the stage that the BCCI’s representative conveyed that the Indian Cricket Team would not be receiving the Asia Cup Trophy and awards. Efforts were made to find a solution to the impasse, resulting in an inordinate delay.” “The ACC president waited with distinguished guests for approximately 40 minutes to ensure that the integrity of the presentation ceremony was preserved and not adversely affected by politics, but in vain,” the reply added. A reliable source in the PCB disclosed that the board’s legal department had been instructed to prepare a dossier should BCCI officials move to censure Naqvi at the ICC board meeting, a possibility already indicated by the BCCI if the trophy issue is not resolved promptly.
