The battle between India and Pakistan for the Asia Cup trophy seemed to have no end in sight. The tournament ended on September 28, with India defeating Pakistan in the final, a contest that dominated headlines for weeks later.
However, the Asia Cup trophy, which should have been delivered to the winning Indian team, is still kept within.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) headquarters in Dubai, on tight orders from ACC Chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi.
According to reports, Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, carried the trophy off the presentation platform when the Indian team rejected to receive it during the post-match ceremony. The episode occurred amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam, leading in a breakdown of typical diplomatic gestures in the sporting arena between the two countries.
“As of today, the trophy is still in ACC offices in Dubai with clear instructions from Naqvi that it should not be moved or handed over to anyone without his approval and in-person presence,” a source close to Naqvi said as quoted by Hindustan Times.
“Naqvi has given clear instructions that only he will hand over the trophy in person (whenever that happens) to the Indian team or BCCI,” the source added.
The episode has further deepened the tense atmosphere surrounding the tournament, which was marred throughout by Indo-Pak hostilities. Indian players avoided handshakes with their Pakistan counterparts during the event, while both camps engaged in a mix of veiled and overt political gestures on the field.
Naqvi himself added fuel to the controversy by posting politically charged remarks on social media during the tournament, comments that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken strong exception to. His decision to remove the trophy from the stage without allowing any BCCI or Indian representative to formally receive it has since triggered a diplomatic and cricketing standoff.
According to sources, the BCCI plans to raise the matter at the upcoming ICC board meeting, where discussions are expected to include the possibility of formally censuring Naqvi or even seeking his removal as an ICC Director.
India
