The BCCI is set to raise the issue over the Asia Cup trophy in the ICC meeting in Dubai, where PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has also arrived. His in-person presence in the meeting was not confirmed due to his commitments in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Mohsin Naqvi, finally arrived for the ICC quarterly meeting in Dubai on Friday, November 7. Naqvi’s in-person participation was not certain, owing to his commitments in Pakistan, as he is also the interior minister there.
However, he ended those speculations as he arrived in Dubai on November 7. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to raise the Asia Cup issue in the ICC meeting on Friday.
Naqvi has not been attending ICC meetings recently. He was also not part of the annual conference held in July in Singapore. With the BCCI set to raise the Asia Cup issue, his participation was in doubt.
India have not been given their Asia Cup trophy despite having won the continental tournament more than a month ago. The Men in Blue had defeated Pakistan three times in the tournament, including in their first-ever final face-off.
India had denied taking the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the Asian Cricket Council chief and interior minister in Pakistan, due to the recent strained relations between the two countries. An official had taken the trophy away, and Naqvi has been under fire for not handing it to the Indian team. The silverware is set to be at an ACC office.
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had stated that the BCCI approached the ACC, but with no response, the board will take the issue to the ICC. “We have approached ACC, and we have sent a letter 10 days ago. There is no positive response. We are maintaining the same stand. Therefore, we will raise the issue at the ICC meeting, which begins on November 4 in Dubai. The trophy will come, and that is for certain, because this trophy has been won by India hands down. Only the timeline has to be fixed,” Saikia had told ANI.
“If we had to take it from him, then we would have taken it on that day of the final. Our stance is evident: we are not accepting it from that gentleman. So, there is no change of stand on the part of BCCI. We are not accepting the trophy from the ACC Chairman, who is the Interior Minister of Pakistan. Therefore, it has to come but not from his hands,” he added.