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Mohsin Naqvi arrives at ICC headquarters at the last minute, set for showdown with BCCI over Asia Cup trophy: Report
Mohsin Naqvi arrived at the ICC headquarters on Friday afternoon as the BCCI is all set to raise the matter of the Asia Cup trophy.
Putting days of speculation to rest, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Friday afternoon arrived at the headquarters of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai to attend the all-important meeting of the apex body, where the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to raise the matter of the Asia Cup trophy. Naqvi, who is the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), is under fire for not handing India the silverware despite the team winning the eight-team competition fair and square on September 28 by beating Pakistan in the final.
The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan. Throughout the Asia Cup, Naqvi made social media posts against India as tempers flared between the two teams, considering the tournament was played in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
According to Cricbuzz, Naqvi has made a name for himself for constantly staying away from ICC meetings, including the annual conference held in July in Singapore. Considering this, many believed that Naqvi would once again miss the meeting where the BCCI would raise the issue of not receiving the Asia Cup trophy.
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The BCCI has already made it clear that it will not remain silent as long as the trophy remains at the ACC headquarters. A serious discussion is expected in the meeting on Friday, and a resolution is anticipated later.
Devajit Saikia representing BCCI
The BCCI is being represented by secretary Devajit Saikia at the meeting. In the past, he has repeatedly spoken up about the trophy not being given to India and the duo protocols not being followed.
“Ten days ago, we wrote to the ACC Chairperson, requesting that he hand over the trophy to the BCCI at the earliest. However, to this day, we have not received the trophy. We are waiting for another day,” Saikia had told news agency ANI.
“If we do not get the trophy by 3 November, a meeting will be held at the ICC headquarters in Dubai. We will raise our grievance before the apex body of international cricket. I am sure ICC will do justice and help India get the trophy at the earliest,” he added.
On September 28, India defeated Pakistan by five wickets to final the Asia Cup 2025 final. However, drama unfolded after the final ball was bowled as the presentation was delayed by an hour. In the end, the Indian team did not get the trophy as Mohsin Naqvi did not budge from his stance of wanting to hand out the silverware.
