The BCCI and PCB were headed for a confrontation at the ICC meeting as Mohsin Naqvi insisted on personally handing over the Asia Cup trophy to India, escalating the ongoing dispute between the two cricket boards.
The ongoing tussle between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to intensify at the upcoming ICC meeting next month. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi remains firm on personally handing over the Asia Cup trophy to India in his role as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president.
In his response to the BCCI and other ACC member nations, Naqvi stated his willingness to organise a handover ceremony on November 10 in Dubai. He proposed that a BCCI representative, along with any available Indian player, could collect the trophy from him during the event.
Naqvi wrote, “The ACC trophy rightly belongs to the Indian cricket team and is being held in trust until a BCCI office holder, along with any available participating player, can collect the same from the ACC President.”
He added, “Such a collection would, of course, be accompanied by much fanfare and coverage, as there should be no deviation from established practices and no precedent that undermines the spirit of the game we all love.”
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The issue has escalated after the BCCI sent a formal communication to the ACC regarding the Asia Cup trophy, reportedly backed by the Afghanistan and Sri Lanka cricket boards. The disagreement has further strained relations between the two boards, highlighting growing mistrust between the BCCI and PCB.
Naqvi Hits Back at BCCI’s Claims
Responding sharply, Naqvi said, “…as regards the remainder of your letter, slanderous as it may be and digressing as it does from the same values you highlighted, the office of the ACC President will not indulge in petty politics that aim to pacify select extremist groups.”
He further stated, “The true state of affairs is that there was never any official communication shared with the ACC office or the Tournament Director highlighting any position or concern of the BCCI with respect to the prize distribution ceremony.
“It was only when the ceremony was about to take place and distinguished guests had taken their place on the stage that the BCCI’s representative conveyed that the Indian Cricket Team would not be receiving the Asia Cup Trophy and awards. Efforts were made to find a solution to the impasse, resulting in an inordinate delay.”
Naqvi also added, “The ACC president waited with distinguished guests for approximately 40 minutes to ensure that the integrity of the presentation ceremony was preserved and not adversely affected by politics, but in vain.”
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Sources within the PCB revealed that the board’s legal department had been directed to prepare a dossier in case the BCCI moved to censure Naqvi during the ICC board meeting. The BCCI had earlier indicated that such a move was possible if the trophy issue was not resolved quickly.
The ICC, currently led by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, is expected to address the matter during the upcoming meeting.
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