‘Collect Asia Cup Trophy from ACC Office’:Mohsin Naqvi slams BCCI for ‘petty politics’, wants to host presentation ceremony again in November

A new controversy is brewing between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the handover of the Asia Cup 2025 trophy. The issue is likely to take centre stage at the upcoming ICC meeting next month, as PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi remains firm on personally presenting the trophy to Team India in his role as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president. Naqvi, who took over as PCB chief earlier this year, has reportedly refused to back down from his stance despite objections from the BCCI and some other ACC member nations. In his official reply to the BCCI and the ACC, Naqvi emphasised that he wishes to conduct a formal handover ceremony in Dubai on November 10, attended by a BCCI representative and an available Indian player. With both boards standing their ground, the ICC meeting could see a heated exchange between representatives of the BCCI and PCB. For now, Naqvi’s insistence on personally handing over the trophy keeps the matter unresolved, setting the stage for yet another diplomatic face-off in world cricket. Naqvi stands firm on trophy handover In his letter to the ACC and its member nations, Mohsin Naqvi reiterated his position clearly, writing: “The ACC trophy rightly belongs to the Indian cricket team and is being held in trust till such time that a BCCI office holder, along with any available participating player, can collect the same from the ACC President.” Also read: Neeraj Chopra conferred honorary lieutenant colonel rank in Territorial Army: Rajnath Singh, Army Chief attended piping ceremony of two-time Olympic medalist Naqvi further added that he wants the event to be celebrated with due recognition and transparency, saying: “Such collection would of course be accompanied with much fanfare and coverage as there should be no deviation from established practices and no precedent should be set which undermines the spirit of the game we all love.” “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 is aimed to pacify select extremist groups,” the reply further reads. Also read: ‘Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname’: Shama Mohamed, Asaduddin Owaisi drag religion angle into cricketer’s India A snub ICC meeting expected to address the dispute The upcoming ICC meeting, chaired by former BCCI secretary and current ICC head Jay Shah, is expected to feature discussions on the issue. The BCCI’s latest communication to the ACC, which was supported by the cricket boards of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, sought clarity on why the trophy presentation had been delayed. The Asia Cup trophy handover has become a point of contention since the conclusion of the tournament, where India emerged as champions. The physical trophy reportedly remained with the ACC and was not formally handed over due to scheduling and travel complications.