Copyright Cricket Addictor
The Asia Cup Trophy remains at the Asian Cricket Council headquarters in Dubai as Mohsin Naqvi defies handing it to the BCCI, if they do not travel to collect it in person, which has forced the Indian body to escalate matters to the ICC. The fiasco started off with the Indian team refusing to shake hands with the Pakistani players as a aftermath of the attacks on the Pahalgam valley. This was followed by several unpleasant gestures from players of Pakistan that further strained the relationship between the two boards. The fiasco did not end even after India won the Asia Cup trophy, since they denied taking it from PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi and rather celebrated with an imaginary trophy after they were not handed their well-deserved cup. BCCI backed by ACB and the Sri Lanka Board over the handing of the Asia Cup Trophy The deadlock over the Asia Cup trophy is yet to be lifted as Naqvi, the ACC Chairman, has remained indifferent and has not agreed upon the terms with the BCCI. He took off with the trophy after the Indian team denied taking it from his hand, since he also holds a post in Pakistan's interior ministry. He, since then, has refused to part with it without any Indian representative taking it from his hands; however, the BCCI has denied compromising their esteem. Despite several fresh requests, now, aided by the Afghanistan Cricket Board as well as the Lankan board, Naqvi has not changed his mind. "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 was quoted as saying to PTI. Top ACC source confirmed Mohsin Naqvi's stance on the Asia Cup Trophy The BCCI has not only requested Mohsin Naqvi and the ACC on several occasions through fresh claims but has also threatened to escalate matters to the ICC and has also dared Naqvi's removal from his post in the continental apex body. Despite all attempts, Naqvi remains unmoved, and his resolute stance is strong, claiming that the trophy needs to be collected by Indian representatives from his office and from his hands only. “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," the source added. BCCI to take Asia Cup fiasco to the ICC meeting next month The BCCI, after continuous denial of handing the trophy by Mohsin Naqvi, has planned to take this issue to the ICC meeting to be held next month. The ICC is currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah. The Pakistan Cricket Board has been further involved in several controversies, even with the ICC, and especially with Jay Shah. A few days ago, a Pakistani federal minister took a direct dig at Jay Shah, claiming biased behavior towards the cricket board. Jay Shah already has pressure mounting on him and the ICC from ACB over strict action to be taken over the Pakistan Cricket Board, as well as the team, after the attacks on the Afghan border territory, which killed three cricketers alongside several innocent citizens.
