Mohsin Naqvi Urges India to Collect the Trophy Without Making Further Drama

The Asia Cup row is unlikely to be resolved soon, as India refuses to accept the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi. This is quite a bizarre demand that holds no ground in professional terms. Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has now stated clearly that he will offer the trophy to India only if they come to collect it in person.

"As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day, and I am still ready now. If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me," said Mohsin Naqvi in a post on X.

This statement clearly underlines the fact that Mohsin Naqvi has not refused India to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy. The men in blue, following the BCCI’s instructions, refused to accept the trophy, which reportedly angered ACC President Mohsin Naqvi.

The demand to take the trophy from any other official instead of the ACC President itself looks very bizarre. It has only exposed the hand of the Indian government in the decision-making process of the BCCI. This has turned the gentlemen’s game into a political show that is ruining the core essence of sportsmanship at the highest level.

In a recent ACC meeting chaired by Mohsin Naqvi, the BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and former board treasurer Ashish Shelar asked the President to hand over the trophy to India. Standing firm on the principles, Mohsin Naqvi refused to provide any favor in this regard. He once again reflected his openness to hand over the trophy to the Indian team should they come and collect it peacefully from the ACC office.

The controversy arose in the Asia Cup final when the Indian team refused to accept the winners’ medals and trophy from the ACC President during the post-match presentation. Due to this, the ceremony itself started after a one-hour delay, as the standoff between the Indian team and Mohsin Naqvi kept everyone waiting.

The Indian cricket governing board, BCCI, has now signaled to raise the matter in the next ICC meeting in November. It would be interesting to see how the global cricket governing body will resolve this matter, as the ACC President has mentioned to stand firm on the rules that are ethically correct.