CHENNAI: The Asia Cup trophy issue spilled over to the Asian Cricket Council's annual general meeting on Tuesday. Sources said the Indian cricket board (BCCI) registered a strong protest over the decision of not presenting the winner's trophy to Suryakumar Yadav and Co after they beat arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets in the final on Sunday.
ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and interior minister of the country, however, remained defiant even forcing at least one of the BCCI representatives — former treasurer Ashish Shelar — leave the meeting though for a brief period. Vice president Rajeev Shukla was another BCCI representative in the meeting.
"The BCCI raised a strong objection for not handing over the trophy to the Indian cricket team," a source, who attended the meeting told this daily. "Naqvi tried to end the matter by saying the issue is not on the agenda but the BCCI representatives continued with their demand and also asked why the trophy is in the hotel and not at the ACC headquarters. Later it was decided that the ACC members will resolve the issue amicably." It was learnt that the BCCI also managed to garner support of other members.
The single point agenda of the meeting was to elect a vice president but that was also deferred.
Earlier, Naqvi's opening remark stirred yet another controversy as he congratulated Nepal for winning a T20I series against the West Indies and Mongolia for becoming an ACC member but didn't mention India's Asia Cup triumph. Shelar then questioned Naqvi for not congratulating India for winning the continental tournament. Naqvi then duly obliged and extended his wishes to the winners, sources said.
With the ACC president remaining defiant as far as the trophy was concerned, Shelar left the meeting for a brief period of time. "The BCCI representative reiterated that the Indian board has written to the International Cricket Council and would raise the issue during a conference in November."
India, who won their ninth continental title a few days ago, faced Pakistan thrice in the tournament and emerged winners on each occasion. Given the strained relationship between the two countries since the Pahalgam terror attack that cost lives of 26 civilians, Indian cricketers adopted a 'no handshake policy' with their counterparts.
The hostility only increased as the tournament progressed with the Indian skipper dedicating their win in the group match to the Pahalgam victims and Indian armed forces while Pakistan cricketers — Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan — allegedly doing provocative celebrations in the Super Fours match. Both boards lodged a complaint against each other with the ICC, which also fined the India captain Yadav and Pakistan pacer Rauf.
