The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, asking him to hand over the Asia Cup trophy. The board sent the letter after India’s win over Pakistan in the final last month.
According to Geo News, the ACC replied on Tuesday. The council proposed a ceremony in Dubai in the first week of November. “If you want the trophy, we can hold a ceremony where you can receive it,” the ACC reportedly told the BCCI.
Trophy Dispute After Final in Dubai
The trophy is still at the ACC headquarters in Dubai. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team had refused to accept it from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and PCB chairman.
The players made this decision after tension during the first two Asia Cup matches. They also skipped handshakes with Pakistani players to honour the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Naqvi then walked away with the trophy, creating controversy.
BCCI Rejects ACC’s Offer
As per PTI, the BCCI has rejected the ACC’s offer to collect the trophy in Dubai. The Indian board has gained support from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, both ACC members.
An ACC source said, “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 source added that Naqvi wanted a BCCI official to travel to Dubai to receive the trophy. However, the BCCI refused. “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 said.
ICC May Intervene
The issue could now reach the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah. The BCCI plans to raise the matter in the ICC meeting next month if it remains unresolved.
The dispute shows the growing strain between India and Pakistan in both sports and politics, even as they continue to share international cricket platforms.