The Indian Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) had strong protests at an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting over the decision not to give away the winner's trophy to the Indian side and the trouble caused by ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi during the post-match ceremony, sources informed IANS on Tuesday.
Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI representative at the meeting, allegedly grilled Naqvi with some tough questions. "Why was not the trophy presented to the victorious team? The ACC trophy is not for personal use by one individual," Shukla allegedly inquired during the discussions.
Sources further stated that Naqvi retaliated by asserting there was no written correspondence to the ACC that the Indian team would not accept the trophy from him. He allegedly also refused to congratulate India on their Asia Cup win at the meeting, instead offering congratulations to Nepal and Mongolia on joining the ACC, specifically excluding India.
The BCCI took a strong stand at the meeting, sources said: "The trophy has to be given to us. If necessary, we will take it directly from the ACC office."
However, ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi was said to have remained insistent, implying the issue had to be discussed. The BCCI, sources added, has not been willing to hold any talks, claiming: "There is no discussion — the trophy is ours."
Despite being asked multiple times, Naqvi has still not returned the trophy. The BCCI is now set to make an official complaint with the ICC.
The row originally broke out at the award ceremony following India's victory over Pakistan in the final, when Suryakumar Yadav and his players denied the trophy being handed over by Mohsin Naqvi, who is both ACC chairman and Pakistan's Interior Minister.
It was further observed that the Indian team refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players at the beginning of the first two matches of the tournament.
Read also| Wasim Akram: Rauf Is Unluckily a Run-Scoring Bowler Against India
