Dubai, September 29: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced it will file a strong protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) after Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi walked away with the Asia Cup trophy in Dubai when the Indian team declined to accept it from him.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia defended the team’s stance, stressing that the players could not receive the trophy from a man holding a political office in Pakistan. “So far as the trophy is concerned, India cannot take the trophy from the person who is waging a war against our country,” Saikia said.
The Indian team clinched the title on Sunday, defeating Pakistan by five wickets in the final. Tilak Varma, who scored an unbeaten 69, was named Player of the Match. However, the victory celebrations were overshadowed by the controversy around the trophy presentation.
Saikia criticized Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and Pakistan’s Interior Minister, for taking the trophy and medals back to his hotel. “We have taken a decision not to accept the trophy, but that does not allow the gentleman to take away the trophy and the medals to his hotel. This is unexpected, very childish in nature, and we will launch a very strong protest with ICC in the forthcoming meeting in Dubai in the first week of November,” he said.
While explaining the team’s participation in the Asia Cup despite opposition following the Pahalgam terror attack, Saikia said the Board was adhering to New Delhi’s policy. “When it is a bilateral tournament, India is not going to play against Pakistan or any other hostile country, and the BCCI has been doing it for the last 12 to 15 years,” he noted. “But in multinational tournaments, whether Asia Cup or World Cup, the government has said Indian teams must play. Otherwise, other sports federations risk being banned internationally.”
Saikia praised the Indian side for its flawless campaign. “India won all seven matches. In the group stage, India won all three matches. Thereafter, in the group of four they won all three matches and the final also. Out of these seven matches, India won against Pakistan 3-0. So this is a big victory and a big-time cricket achievement for the country,” he said.
The BCCI official added that the clean sweep over Pakistan would resonate with fans across India. “Today, with this handsome win over Pakistan and the thumping victory of 3-0, I am sure we will bring a lot of happiness to our people. The country is really proud of the performance of the Indian cricket team,” Saikia remarked.
It is learnt that the BCCI had informed their ACC points-person that the team won’t take the award from Naqvi, who has a pronounced anti-India stance.
Naqvi had posted cryptic videos of Cristiano Ronaldo’s plane crash gesture celebrations, a reference to the Pakistani claims that six Indian jets were downed during ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Naqvi was also behind Pakistan’s demand that ICC charge Suryakumar with a Level 4 offence for standing by the Indian Army and showing solidarity with victims of Pahalgam terror attack. The Indian team had also maintained a ‘no handshake’ policy with regards to Pakistan during the tournament.
