Over a month after India clinched the Asia Cup title with a commanding win over Pakistan in Dubai, the trophy itself is yet to reach the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters.
The Indian
cricket board has now expressed frustration over the delay and hinted at escalating the issue to the International Cricket Council (ICC) if the matter isn't resolved soon.
India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final to secure the continental crown, but the post-match presentation ceremony became a controversy in itself. The Indian team declined to accept the trophy from Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the chairman of both the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The move followed India captain Suryakumar Yadav's refusal to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart amid the ongoing political tensions between the two nations.
Since then, the trophy has remained in Pakistan's custody. Naqvi has publicly stated that he is willing to hand it over but insists on doing so personally - a condition that has caused the standoff to linger.
BCCI joint secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the board is actively pursuing the matter. "Yes, we are a little bit unhappy with the way the trophy has not been being given to us even after a month," Saikia told PTI Video. "We are pursuing this matter, about 10 days ago also we wrote a letter to the chairman of ACC, but there is no change in their stand. They are still keeping the trophy under their custody but we hope that the trophy will reach us in a day or two at the BCCI office in Mumbai. "
If the impasse continues, the BCCI intends to raise the issue at the ICC's quarterly meeting in Dubai starting November 4.
"On behalf of BCCI we are fully prepared how to deal with the matter and I can assure the people of India that the trophy will come back to India, only the timeline is not fixed. One day it will come," Saikia said. "We have won all matches against Pakistan and won the trophy. We have won the championship. Everything is on record. Only the trophy is missing. I hope good sense will prevail. "
