Tag: Asia Cup 2025

Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has announced that an informal meeting took place with Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), regarding the controversy surrounding the Asia Cup 2025 trophy, according to Indian media reports.

The ongoing issue began when India’s Suryakumar Yadav-led team won the Asia Cup final against Pakistan on September 28.

However, they declined to accept the winners’ trophy and medals from Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The presentation ceremony was delayed for nearly an hour as negotiations continued backstage before ending abruptly without a trophy handover, leaving the silverware stranded at the ACC headquarters in Dubai.

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BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to the Press Trust of India (PTI) that ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja and CEO Sanjog Gupta facilitated discussions between the two boards during the recent ICC meetings held in Dubai.

“I was part of both the formal and informal ICC meetings. The issue wasn’t on the official agenda, but the ICC facilitated a separate discussion between myself and Mohsin Naqvi,” Saikia said.

“It was really good to start the process of negotiation. Both sides participated cordially, and the ice has been broken. Now, different options are being explored to settle this issue amicably,” he added.

The Asia Cup trophy, which has remained under the supervision of ACC staff in Dubai, reportedly cannot be moved without Naqvi’s approval.

Both boards are now said to be working towards a mutually agreeable solution, with the possibility of a neutral ceremony being considered.

READ: PCB explains Wahab Riaz’s role amid women’s team changes

The deadlock between India and Pakistan over the Asia Cup 2025 Trophy continued on Wednesday, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to accept the silverware from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi.

According to reports, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has written a letter to the ACC, requesting that the Trophy be handed over directly to India.

“If the trophy is not received, the matter will be raised with the ICC,” Saikia told reporters.

Meanwhile, ACC has offered BCCI to receive the trophy at a formal ceremony in Dubai on November 10.

For the unversed, the standoff for the trophy arose from India’s decision not to collect their winners’ medals and trophy following their triumph in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan on September 29 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

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The controversy reportedly began after members of the Indian team declined to accept the silverware from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

Despite India’s stance, the ACC has maintained its position, with sources suggesting that President Naqvi is unwilling to make any exceptions or alter standard presentation protocols.

India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final, chasing down a 147-run target in 19.4 overs after bowling out the Men in Green for 146 runs in 19.1 overs.

The continental tournament was shrouded in controversy from the start, beginning with India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav’s decision not to shake hands with Pakistan in their first encounter.

On the contrary, Pakistan also threatened to boycott the tournament at one stage. The situation persisted and continued after the summit clash.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially written to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, seeking the handover of the Asia Cup 2025 trophy nearly a month after the conclusion of the tournament, sources confirmed.

According to insiders, the ACC has responded to the Indian board’s request and proposed that the trophy presentation take place in Dubai during the first week of November.

“If you want the trophy, we can hold a ceremony where you can receive it,” the ACC reportedly told the BCCI.

The unusual situation stems from India’s decision not to collect their winners’ medals and trophy following their triumph in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan on September 29 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

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The stand-off reportedly began after members of the Indian team declined to accept the silverware from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

Despite India’s stance, the ACC has maintained its position, with sources suggesting that President Naqvi is unwilling to make any exceptions or alter standard presentation protocols.

India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final, chasing down a 147-run target in 19.4 overs after bowling out the Men in Green for 146 runs in 19.1 overs.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rejected the idea of not holding India-Pakistan fixtures in the future, following the Asia Cup 2025 fallout.

According to a report in the Indian news outlet ‘Dainik Jagran’, the BCCI highlighted the need for a clash between arch-rivals, taking into account the broadcasters and sponsors.

“It’s easy to talk about all this, but will sponsors and broadcasters agree to it? In today’s situation, if any major team, not just India, withdraws from a tournament, it will be difficult to attract sponsors,” the report quoted BCCI official.

The comments from the BCCI came after former England captain Michael Atherton and a notable voice in cricket commentary urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) not to have more matches between India and Pakistan.

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“If cricket was once the vehicle for diplomacy, it is now, clearly, a proxy for broader tensions and for propaganda.

There is little justification, in any case, for a serious sport to arrange tournament fixtures to suit its economic needs, and now that the rivalry is being exploited in other ways, there is even less justification for it,” Atherton wrote in his column for The Times.

“For the next broadcast rights cycle, the fixture draw before ICC events should be transparent, and if the two teams do not meet every time, so be it,” he further wrote.

For the unversed, India and Pakistan squared off against each other three times in the recently concluded Asia Cup. However, all matches were surrounded by controversy from the onset.

During the first fixture between the two teams — their first encounter since the May escalation, which had led both neighbours to the verge of full-fledged war — handshakes were avoided by both teams.

Furthermore, the final also saw a delayed presentation ceremony due to the Men in Blue’s refusal to take silverware from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

READ: Pakistan-Afghanistan AFC Asian Cup Qualifier clash in limbo

Pakistan Test cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has urged opening batter Saim Ayub to ‘learn the art of batting’ following his horror run with the bat in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025.

Saim Ayub had endured a poor run with the bat in the continental tournament. The southpaw bagged overall four ducks, including three in a row, and could only manage to score 37 runs in just seven innings.

On the contrary, he had an impressive outing with the ball as he picked up eight wickets in six innings at an economy of 6.40 per over. Following his bowling contributions, he became the No.1 all-rounder in ICC T20I rankings.

Appearing in a recent podcast, Ahmed Shehzad reflected on his past comments about the left-hander, recalling that once he warned Saim could prove dangerous for Pakistan.

“Yes is proving to be dangerous,” he said in a light-hearted manner given his current struggles.

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Ahmed Shehzad nevertheless praised the left-hander’s talent and called him a ‘blessing’ for Pakistan. He also mentioned Saim’s time with Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Quetta Gladiators.

“It’s turning out to be a blessing in disguise for us that we have this kind of talent.” “He was with us at Quetta Gladiators, where he hardly got any chances. He worked hard and started playing with more flair. Then he had one good season,” he continued.

The 33-year-old pointed out systematic flaws and the scarcity of batting talent in the country, alongside mentioning his performance and the number of matches he had played.

“In a country where there aren’t many players, when you find someone like this, you have to support him.

He has already been given 50 chances — that’s the length of some players’ entire careers. He has been handed 50 chances despite failures,” he added.

Shehzad also emphasized his bowling and suggested that he needs to play domestic cricket to regain his form rather than being discarded altogether.

“His bowling can be useful against sides like Oman or UAE, but against stronger teams, it hasn’t worked. India, for example, took him apart.”

“Saim has to learn the art of scoring runs. He should go back to domestic cricket, play ‘A’ tours. There is no need to discard him completely,” he concluded.

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Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has launched a scathing attack on India over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy row, stating that ‘Politics should stay aside’.

Expressing his views on the controversy that followed after the final, he emphasized the difference between sport and politics.

“Team India sort of weren’t happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don’t feel that belongs in sports. Politics should stay aside. Sport is one thing, and it should be celebrated for what it is,” he said.

“Quite sad to see that, but hopefully they sort things out in the future. It does put the sport, the players, the sportsmen, the cricketers in a very tough position, and that’s what I hate to see. It was quite awkward there at the end,” he continued.

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He further stated: “I hate seeing this—ultimately it left a very bad impression.”

However, De Villiers praised India’s dominant performance and mentioned the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka.

“Let’s focus on what’s most important (the cricket itself). India are looking really, really strong. Building up to that big T20 World Cup. Remember, it’s not too far away. And they look like they’ve got a lot of talent, and they play the big moments well. So fantastic (to watch),” De Villiers said.

For context, the Asia Cup 2025 controversy saw India and Pakistan’s political relations overshadowing cricket for the entire length of the tournament.

India went on to lift the title unbeaten after defeating Pakistan. Yet, what grabbed the spotlight on social media was the lack of handshakes or gestures on the field.

The drama peaked at the end of the Asia Cup final, when the presentation ceremony began an hour late. The delay was caused by India’s refusal to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Due to this, the Indian team celebrated the triumph without the silverware with skipper Suryakumar Yadav mimicking the trophy in his hands.

READ: BCCI official says ‘no assurance’ of handshake in India–Pakistan Women’s WC clash

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi has slammed the Indian media for claims about his apology to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the Asia Cup trophy fiasco.

On Sunday, the closing ceremony of the Asia Cup final saw unprecedented scenes when the Indian cricket team refused to collect the winner’s trophy from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi.

Following this, the Indian media claimed that Naqvi had himself refused to hand the trophy over to the Indian team.

Today, several Indian media outlets reported that Mohsin Naqvi had now apologised to the BCCI over the trophy row.

In response to the Indian media’s claims, Mohsin Naqvi hit back at the fabricated claims in a social media post.

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“This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people,” Naqvi wrote on X.

“I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so.”

He clarified that he is ready to hand over the silverware, and India should take the trophy from his office.

“I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day, and I am still ready now. If they [India] truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me,” he remarked.

For context, the Asia Cup had its share of twists and turns from the start. The first of the three encounters between India and Pakistan began with a handshake row, as both captains did not shake hands during the match.

Mohsin Naqvi had also lamented disappointment over the ‘lack of sportsmanship’ from the Indian side during the tournament.

READ: BCCI chief demands Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi: sources

DUBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Rajeev Shukla has asked Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi to hand over the Asia Cup trophy, sources told Ary News on Wednesday.

The development came during the ACC meeting held in Dubai, chaired by ACC President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

As per the sources, the Asia Cup trophy was not on the agenda of the recent ACC meeting, but Shukla insisted on receiving it.

In reply, Mohsin Naqvi reportedly said that if the Indian cricket team wanted the trophy, Suryakumar Yadav should personally visit his office to collect it.

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For context, the Asia Cup 2025 final ended with a Trophy fiasco as the Indian cricket team refused to accept the silverware from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The presentation ceremony started an hour late, reportedly due to India’s refusal, stemming from the fact that the trophy was to be handed over by the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.

The stage for the post-match ceremony was not set for an extended period. At last, the stage was set up with Mohsin Naqvi and other dignitaries taking their place.

However, the ceremony ended without the silverware, as the Indian team celebrated the moment by mimicking the trophy.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has barred national players from participating in overseas T20 leagues following the Asia Cup 2025 final.

According to Cricinfo, Sumair Ahmad Syed has informed the players and agents of the decision on September 29.

“With the approval of Chairman PCB, all No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for players with respect to participation in leagues and other out-of-country tournaments are hereby put on hold until further orders,” the report quoted the notification.

However, the reason behind the decision is unknown. The report further stated that the PCB wants to link the NOCs to a performance-based system for which the criteria have not been made public.

The move came a day after Pakistan’s last-over defeat against arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup 2025 final.

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The decision puts Pakistan’s key players Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi’s participation in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025 in doubt.

It is worth mentioning that Pakistani players were among the popular selections in the BBL 15 overseas draft held earlier this year.

Babar Azam was roped in by the Sydney Sixers, whereas Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi were drafted by the Melbourne Renegades and the Brisbane Heat.

Haris Rauf, a regular in the BBL, was retained by Melbourne Stars, the franchise where he has become a fan favourite over the years with his pace and aggression.

Shadab Khan will return to the BBL circuit as well, having been drafted by the Sydney Thunder. Meanwhile, in-form pace bowler Hasan Ali found a new home in Australia, picked by the Adelaide Strikers to bolster their bowling attack.

Notably, Pakistan’s gap in the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) from November to February provides their top cricketers a window of opportunity to participate in the BBL 15.

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Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik has criticized the Indian team for refusing to accept the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the Asian Cricket Council President and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.

India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final. However, the drama unfolded after the match, with the post-match presentation delayed by an hour.

The delay was due to India’s refusal, stemming from the fact that the trophy was to be handed over by the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.

The stage for the post-match ceremony was not set for an extended period. At last the stage was set up with Mohsin Naqvi and other dignitaries taking their place.

However, the ceremony ended without the silverware as the Indian team celebrated their victory without their trophy.

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Speaking in a post-match show, Shoaib talked about the post-match presentation ceremony of the final.

“Think about the pressure on players, the heat they battled, and the effort they gave. All of it was for one reason – to win the trophy and the tournament,” he said.

“And after all their hard work, they still didn’t step forward to collect the trophy. For now, they might celebrate the choice in their own way, but down the line, after a few years, this will haunt them. We won the trophy, gave our best, yet never took it,” he continued.

He called it a missed opportunity for the Indian team and mentioned the impact of a sportsman on the field.

“At the end of the day, they are athletes, they are players. Their role is to step onto the field and give everything they have. This was a huge achievement, a tight contest, and not taking the trophy, it means missing out on the moment. It was a massive moment,” he concluded.

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