Top News

Rohit Kumar

NEW DELHI, Nov 8: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are claimed to have agreed to bring out a solution to the current impasse over handing over of the Asia Cup trophy after the winning side India refusing to accept it from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi who is also the interior minister of Pakistan.

The BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Saturday confirmed that the “ice is broken” with the PCB after the issue was “informally discussed” by the two cricket boards on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Dubai. “Both sides will work out something to solve the issue at the earliest. The ice has been broken now, so various options will be worked out,” said Saikia. “There will be options from the other side as well, and we will also give options on how to settle this issue and come to an amicable solution,” he added.

Mr Saikia revealed that an informal meeting was held with Mr Naqvi, who is also the PCB chairman, over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy controversy. India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup final but the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side refused to receive the winner’s trophy from Naqvi. An angry Naqvi left with the trophy and deposited in the ACC office in Dubai and the Indian cricket team has still not received it.

The BCCI was expected to raise the issue during the ICC meetings in Dubai. However, Saikia said the issue the ‘ice was broken’ with the PCB as the topic was ‘informally’ discussed by the two cricket boards. The ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khawaja and CEO Sanjog Gupta are learned to have mediated the discussions between BCCI and PCB.

“I was a part of both the informal and formal meeting of the ICC. PCB chairperson Mohsin Naqvi was also present. During the course of a formal meeting, it was not on agenda but ICC facilitated a meeting between myself and the PCB chief separately in the presence of a senior ICC office-bearer and another senior official,” Saikia said. “It was really good to start the process of negotiation. Both sides cordially participated in the meeting which took place on the sidelines of the ICC board meet,” he said assuring that a solution would be worked out soon.

The trophy has been lying at the ACC headquarters in Dubai with the staff there instructed by Naqvi to not move it without his permission. He has insisted that the Indians will have to accept the top prize personally from him and India insisting that it be sent over to Mumbai.

After Naqvi remained adamant about his stance of wanting to personally give the trophy away as the ACC chief, the BCCI raised the issue with the ICC. Initially, it was believed that Naqvi may not attend the meeting, but at the last minute, he arrived in Dubai, where discussions took place between him and the BCCI.

India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets to win the Asia Cup 2025 edition at the Dubai International Stadium. The entire tournament was marred by hostilities between the two arch-rivals, and it all began with the Indian camp refusing to shake hands with Pakistan players in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.