Mohsin Naqvi rejects India’s trophy request amid political tensions

DUBAI: ACC President Mohsin Naqvi said the Indian cricket team can collect the Asia Cup trophy from its ACC office if it wants, days after the Men in Blue tainted the gentleman’s game with dirty politics.

During the meeting, Indian Cricket Board chief Rajiv Shukla reportedly requested the trophy from Naqvi. However, Naqvi replied that it was not on the agenda of the meeting and no formal decision could be taken regarding giving the trophy to the Indian team.

The incident came after the Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy directly from Naqvi after winning the final, highlighting the long-standing tension between the board and the ACC leadership.

After defeating Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final this Sunday, the Indian cricket team refused to accept the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and PCB chairman. The post-match ceremony was delayed by more than an hour, with speculation that India’s reluctance to hold it was the reason for its postponement.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said India’s decision was due to Naqvi’s political stance, adding that the team expected the trophy and medals to be returned soon. India plans to lodge a formal protest at the ICC conference in Dubai in November.

During the ceremony, the Indian players received individual awards from other officials while Pakistan captain Salman Agha accepted the runner-up’s cheque. The trophy was removed from the stage without explanation, and India celebrated with a dummy trophy on the podium.

India’s ugly stance remained consistent throughout the tournament, as it refused to even shake hands with Pakistani players in all three matches. The series saw heated exchanges, with Suryakumar Yadav and Haris Rauf being fined for pre-match conduct.