New Delhi: The controversy surrounding the Asia Cup 2025 final trophy escalated further after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi quashed reports suggesting he had apologised to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), accusing Indian media of spreading “fabricated propaganda”.
“Indian media thrives on lies, not facts. Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so,” Naqvi wrote a post on X. “This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people. Unfortunately, India continues to drag politics into cricket, damaging the very spirit of the game.”
Naqvi insisted that he had been ready to conduct the presentation ceremony on the night of the final in Dubai. “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,” he added.
The row began on September 28 after India defeated Pakistan to win a record-extending ninth Asia Cup crown. The Indian players refused to receive the trophy and medals from Naqvi, citing strained geopolitical relations, and instead requested that the presentation be done by the vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board. But, Naqvi rejected the request.
When the presentation ceremony began after a delay, India spinner Kuldeep Yadav, opener Abhishek Sharma and batter Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage. When Naqvi finally stepped onto the dais, the Indian side made clear they would not accept the trophy from him. Moments later, the trophy was discreetly removed from the venue, leaving the champions without their prize.
Reports have since claimed that Naqvi demanded India captain Suryakumar Yadav personally travel to Dubai to collect the trophy from the ACC office.
(IANS)
