ISLAMABAD: The simmering standoff between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) over the Asia Cup trophy has taken another dramatic turn, with both sides refusing to back down ahead of the crucial ICC meetings scheduled from November 4 to 7 in Dubai.
According to reliable sources within the ACC, the Indian board has once again been officially informed that members of India’s Asia Cup-winning squad can personally collect the trophy from the ACC headquarters in Dubai. “We have again communicated to the BCCI that the trophy could be collected from the ACC office through cricketers who were part of the Asia Cup-winning team. For that, they have to share their plans in advance,” a senior ACC official told The News when contacted on Friday.
However, the BCCI, maintaining a defiant tone, has reportedly issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the ACC to deliver the trophy to Mumbai, failing which the issue will be escalated at the ICC meetings next week.
BCCI joint-secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted by Indian media as saying that the board had already written to ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi about 10 days ago but had received no “satisfactory response.” Saikia further warned that if the trophy was not delivered to Mumbai within two days, the BCCI would raise the matter at the ICC forum. “We expect the trophy to arrive in Mumbai within 48 hours,” he said, adding that the board would not hesitate to take up the issue internationally if the ACC failed to comply.
The trophy row dates back to the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai, where India defeated Pakistan by five wickets to lift the regional title. The post-match presentation, however, turned into a diplomatic embarrassment when Indian players refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Interior Minister of Pakistan.
Naqvi, standing on the presentation podium, offered to hand over the trophy and medals, but the Indian players refrained from stepping forward. As a result, the ceremony concluded abruptly, with Naqvi walking away with the trophy in hand. Since then, he has repeatedly stated in interviews that the Indian team is welcome to collect the trophy “in person” and that it would only be handed over by him or through official ACC channels.
Sources in the PCB revealed that Naqvi may not travel to Dubai for the upcoming ICC meeting, citing his heavy ministerial engagements. “So far, there is nothing final as to whether Mohsin Naqvi would attend the ICC meeting in person or online. Given his portfolio as Interior Minister, there’s a strong possibility that he will participate virtually, while senior PCB officials will represent Pakistan in Dubai,” a well-placed PCB source told The News.
Observers believe that this episode reflects the deepening strain between the two boards, mirroring the tense political relationship between the neighboring countries. The ACC, under Naqvi’s chairmanship, has tried to maintain a neutral stance, but insiders suggest that the issue has turned symbolic.
Cricketing circles in Dubai, meanwhile, see the controversy as unnecessary. “The trophy is safely placed at the ACC headquarters, all India needs to do is authorize a team representative to collect it. Turning it into a diplomatic issue only harms the spirit of the game,” commented a former ACC official familiar with trophy logistics.
As the ICC meeting approaches, all eyes will be on how the BCCI and ACC navigate this face-off, one that began with a simple trophy handover but now threatens to become another flashpoint in Indo-Pak cricket relations.