MumbI: Tensions in cricket’s corridors of power have escalated into a full-blown diplomatic standoff, with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi digging in his heels against mounting pressure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Nearly a month after India’s triumphant Asia Cup 2025 victory over Pakistan in Dubai on September 28, the gleaming silver trophy — symbol of continental supremacy — remains locked away in the ACC’s Dubai office, its handover mired in acrimony and national pride.
The saga began on the final night when captain Suryakumar Yadav’s men, fresh from a commanding win, pointedly refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, the dual-hatted PCB chief and Pakistan’s Interior Minister. BCCI officials cited protocol breaches, accusing Naqvi of whisking away the silverware and winners’ medals to his hotel room without a formal presentation, leaving the champions trophy-less amid awkward podium silence. “We won’t take it from a senior Pakistani leader,” BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia had quipped, underscoring the frosty bilateral chill that has long tainted Indo-Pak cricket.
Undeterred, the BCCI fired off a stern email last week, backed by heavyweights like Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, former Treasurer Ashish Shelar, and boards from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The missive demanded immediate handover, warning of escalation to the ICC’s November Dubai conclave — potentially including Naqvi’s impeachment for alleged conduct violations that tarnish global cricket’s image. Yet, in a defiant riposte that has Indian fans seething, Naqvi remains unyielding. Sources reveal he insists on a ceremonial handover in Dubai, personally presenting the trophy to any BCCI-nominated player. “Send someone from your team; it’s ready in the office,” he reportedly shot back, rejecting courier options and framing it as a matter of “dignity and protocol”.
Naqvi’s stance, which blends personal slights and geopolitical undercurrents, reeks of calculated brinkmanship. While he issued a half-hearted apology for “mismanagement” earlier, retracting it as “fabricated propaganda” by Indian media, his refusal to budge has united ACC allies against him. BCCI insiders dismiss his conditions as “untenable”, vowing no Indian will grace his hands.
As whispers of ICC intervention grow louder, this trophy tussle risks overshadowing on-field glory, exposing cricket’s unholy tryst with politics. Will calmer minds prevail, or will the trophy become collateral in an enduring rivalry?