The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has strongly condemned and opposed the actions of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who remains insistent on personally presenting the Asia Cup trophy to the winning team.
An ACC meeting was held in Dubai on Tuesday. BCCI representatives Rajeev Shukla, the current Vice-President, and former Treasurer Ashish Shelar joined the meeting virtually. According to sources close to RevSportz, both Shukla and Shelar objected to the fact that the trophy and winners’ medals had not yet been handed over to India.
During the meeting, Naqvi, who is also the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), proposed presenting the trophy himself at a formal ceremony. However, the BCCI strongly objected to this suggestion as well.
India did not collect their winners’ medals or the trophy following their victory in the final on Sunday. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side made it clear that they would not accept the trophy from Naqvi.
Presenter Simon Doull confirmed: “I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight.”
Shortly after the presentation ceremony, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stated that the issue would be raised at the next International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting in November.
“We have decided not to accept the trophy from the ACC Chairman (Naqvi), who happens to be one of the senior leaders from Pakistan. But that does not mean the gentleman can withhold the trophy,” Saikia told ANI. “At the next ICC conference in Dubai in the first week of November, we will lodge a very serious and strong protest against the actions of the ACC Chairman.”
It remains to be seen what the way forward will be. Both Naqvi and the BCCI remain firm in their respective positions. If a resolution is not reached soon, the matter is likely to be raised again at the ICC meeting, as the BCCI Secretary has indicated.
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