Indian team protests against Mohsin Naqvi’s actions following Asia Cup final victory over Pakistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced plans to formally protest against Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, after an incident involving the Asia Cup trophy. Reports indicate that Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister and chief of the country’s cricket board, allegedly walked away with the trophy and the individual medals meant for the Indian team after they refused to accept the award from him. This incident occurred following India’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final match of the tournament held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia emphasized that Naqvi’s actions were seen as unsporting. He stated that the board intends to raise the issue during an International Cricket Council meeting scheduled for the first week of November in Dubai. Saikia expressed hope that the trophy and the medals would be returned to India, clarifying that the Indian team’s refusal to accept the trophy did not imply that Naqvi could keep it.
During a post-match briefing, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed his surprise at the situation, noting that he had never witnessed a winning team being denied a trophy. He remarked, “We deserved it,” highlighting that the real trophies were the memories shared with his teammates.
The refusal to accept the trophy was reportedly influenced by Naqvi’s social media activity, which included reposting an image featuring Pakistani players in flight suits alongside fighter jets, captioned “Final Day.” This action drew criticism and was perceived as provocative. Additionally, Naqvi had previously shared a video of football player Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating a goal in a manner that echoed a gesture made by Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf during a match on September 21. Rauf’s gesture was viewed as a reference to claims by the Pakistani military regarding the downing of Indian aircraft during an ongoing conflict.
Following the Super 4 stage match between the two teams, the BCCI had already filed a complaint against Rauf and his teammate Sahibzada Farhan for what they deemed provocative celebrations. Farhan had celebrated his half-century using a bat as a prop to mimic firing a gun. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board lodged a complaint against the Indian captain after he expressed solidarity with the victims of a terror attack in Pahalgam, dedicating the Indian victory against Pakistan to the Indian military.
Throughout the Asia Cup tournament, Indian players refrained from shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts, reflecting the heightened tensions between the two nations. These tensions escalated following military actions on May 7, when India conducted strikes against alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The conflict led to significant casualties on both sides and underscored the fraught relationship between New Delhi and Islamabad.
