Pakistan government minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi seems to be in deep trouble over the Asia Cup trophy issue. On Sunday, the trophy was not handed over to India because the Indian team refused to receive it from Naqvi, who is both a minister in the Pakistan government and the PCB chief. According to media reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pressed for his impeachment after Naqvi, in his capacity as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman, withheld the trophy. As a result, Naqvi eventually handed the trophy over to the UAE Cricket Board.
NDTV sources revealed that the main objections are being raised by a dissatisfied faction within the BCCI, led by officials who had recently confronted Naqvi during a virtual ACC meeting. These officials claim that Naqvi’s actions were a direct misuse of his position and a violation of sporting norms. The meeting, chaired by Naqvi, was attended virtually by Indian representatives Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar. Reports suggest that the Asia Cup trophy is now in the custody of the UAE Cricket Board, but it is still unclear when and how it will be officially handed to India.
During the tournament, India and Pakistan faced each other three times, including the final, and India won on all three occasions. Throughout the event, the Indian team maintained a “no-handshake policy” with Pakistani players, which left the PCB displeased.
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The hostility between the two neighbouring nations has escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, where Pakistan-backed militants gunned down 26 Indian tourists. Following this, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” a military action targeting cross-border terror infrastructures.
At the ACC’s AGM, BCCI was represented by vice-president Rajeev Shukla and former treasurer Ashish Shelar. The Asia Cup trophy is currently kept at the ACC office, and uncertainty remains about when it will be delivered to the winning team.
An ACC source told PTI: “India strongly objected to the actions of the ACC president (Naqvi) during the post-match presentation, especially his refusal to hand over the trophy. The trophy belongs to the ACC, not to any individual.”
The source further added: “Shukla made it clear that the trophy must be handed over to the winning team. However, Naqvi has still not agreed to do so.”