BCCI raises strong objection over Asia Cup trophy fiasco at Asian Cricket Council meeting

The BCCI on Tuesday raised "strong objection" in the Asian Cricket Council's AGM over India not being presented the winner's trophy of the Asia Cup but the body's chairman Mohsin Naqvi remained defiant by "still not agreeing" to it.

India were not awarded the trophy on Sunday after their refusal to take the silverware from Naqvi, who is also a minister in the Pakistan government and chairman of the country's cricket board. He also has a pronounced anti-India political position.

BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla and former treasurer Ashish Shelar were the Board representatives in the AGM here.

The Asia Cup trophy remains in the ACC office and it is still not clear when it will duly reach the members of the winning team.

"India raised strong objection in the ACC meeting today on not being handed over the trophy and the drama by ACC chairman (Naqvi) during the post-match award event," an ACC source told PTI.

However, the source said Naqvi "still hasn't agreed to give the trophy".

"Shukla and Shelar categorically said that the trophy should be handed over to the winning team. It is an ACC trophy and doesn't belong to an individual. Naqvi did not say no to it, he was passing the buck," the source added.

"Naqvi insisted that the matter should not be discussed in the AGM and brought up separately at some other time. The single-point agenda of the meeting was to elect a vice chairman but even that was deferred."

Naqvi, it is learnt, did not congratulate the BCCI members for India winning the Asia Cup but was forced by Shelar to formally praise the Suryakumar Yadav-led side's unbeaten performance.

"When the meeting started, chairperson (Naqvi), in his brief opening remark, congratulated Nepal for winning against the West Indies and Mongolia for becoming an ACC member and concluded.

"That was when Shelar raised the point that 'why are you not congratulating India for the Asia Cup title?' He forced Naqvi to congratulate India and the PCB chief agreed and duly congratulated India," the source went on.

The BCCI will take the matter to the ICC which will have its meeting in November.

"Shukla and Shelar argued that the ACC should keep the trophy in the office and the BCCI would get it collected. They said 'we want the trophy as legitimate winners'. Naqvi was passing the buck not saying no at the same time.

"It was made clear that the BCCI will complain to the ICC and Shelar briefly left the meeting," said the source, who quoted Naqvi as saying that the latter felt "like a cartoon" and was embarrassed while waiting for the victorious Indian team at the dais.

The two teams played each other thrice in the tournament with India winning each time, including the final. India maintained a 'no handshake policy' with Pakistan players during the event, infuriating the PCB.

The hostilities between the two neighbours are at an all-time high after the Pahalgam terror attack.

India had subsequently launched military action under 'Operation Sindoor' to dismantle terror infrastructure across the border.