Asia Cup drama deepens! Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi locks trophy at ACC office, blocks movement without his approval

In an unexpected twist, the Asia Cup 2025 trophy has yet to be awarded to the Indian cricket team, the champions of this year's tournament. Despite their commanding win over Pakistan in the final held in Dubai on September 28, the trophy remains secured at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) headquarters.

What is the cause of this delay?

A complicated standoff involving ACC Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also leads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and is currently serving as Pakistan's Interior Minister. Sources indicate that the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi during the post-match ceremony. Following this incident, Naqvi reportedly took the trophy with him, transporting it directly to the ACC office in Dubai.

Since that moment, the trophy has remained stationary. Orders have been issued stating that it cannot be handed over or removed from the ACC location without explicit consent from Naqvi himself. This situation is quite rare in the cricketing world, where trophies are usually presented on the field to the victorious team as a celebration of their achievement.

"As of today the trophy is still in ACC offices in Dubai with clear intructions from Naqvi that it should not be moved or handed over to anyone without his approval and in person presence," a source close to Naqvi told PTI.

"Naqvi has given clear instructions that only he will hand over the trophy in person (whenever that happens) to the Indian team or BCCI," he added.

The Asia Cup was largely dominated by tensions between India and Pakistan. Throughout the tournament, Indian players declined to shake hands with their rivals, while athletes from both nations engaged in mocking gestures laden with political implications. Naqvi also expressed political views on his social media accounts.

The BCCI expressed strong disapproval of his actions, particularly his departure with the trophy, and pledged to address the issue at an upcoming ICC meeting next month. There is considerable speculation that a significant effort will be made to have Naqvi reprimanded or even removed from his position as Director in the ICC.

"It remains to be seen what will be the long term ramifications for the PCB or Naqvi because the BCCI is clear he (Naqvi) didn't have any right to insist on handing the trophy himself to the Indian team and refusing to send it to the BCCI who were official hosts of the event," the source said.

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