India drags politics into cricket to damage game’s spirit:
Naqvi- Says was ready to present trophy on final day and even today.
- India can collect trophy from ACC office, if it wants: Naqvi.
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, in a strong rebuttal against recent claims circulating in Indian media, denied apologising to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the Asia Cup trophy presentation row.
Addressing what he called “fabricated, nonsense and cheap propaganda,” Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board, said that Indian media is prioritising misinformation over facts.
“This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people,” he posted on X.
“I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so,” the ACC chairman added.
He also took a jibe at the “persistent politicisation” of cricket in India and said, “Unfortunately, India continues to drag politics into cricket, damaging the very spirit of the game.”
Naqvi clarified that he was prepared to hand over the trophy on the final day and even today.
“I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now. If they [India] truly want it [trophy], they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me,” he concluded.
The trophy row followed a series of controversies involving the Indian team during the Asia Cup — from players snubbing handshakes to refusing to receive the trophy from Naqvi.
During a routine ACC meeting in Dubai on Tuesday, the ACC chairman rejected BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla’s repeated demands to hand over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy, asserting that the silverware should be collected by the Indian skipper in person, the sources told Geo News.
Naqvi responded that the issue was not part of the meeting’s agenda. After further insistence, he remarked that if the Indian team wanted the trophy, its captain should visit the ACC office personally to receive it.
No decision was taken yet on whether the trophy will be handed over to the Indian side.
According to sources close to regional cricket bodies, BCCI officials — who attended the meeting virtually — reacted sharply to Naqvi’s stance, demanding instead that the trophy be transferred to the International Cricket Council (ICC) headquarters.
Other ACC members reportedly attempted to defuse tensions, urging Indian officials to show restraint. However, the BCCI delegation abruptly left the meeting and cut its digital feed.
