Trophy controversy overshadows India’s ninth Asia Cup title
India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in Dubai to claim their ninth Asia Cup title, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. But celebrations quickly turned to controversy when Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Mohsin Naqvi was informed that the Indian team was refusing to receive the trophy from him, and left the product with the trophy, leaving the champions without silverware on the podium.
Broadcaster Simon Doull told viewers: “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.” — during the live broadcast.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted his disappointment at the post-match press conference, saying: “I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing cricket, or following the sport. A champion team is denied a trophy, that too a hard-earned one. I feel we deserved it. I can’t say anything more; I’ve summed it up really well. If you tell me about trophies, my trophies are sitting in the dressing room, all the 14 guys with me, the support staff, those are the real trophies throughout this journey in the Asia Cup.”
He confirmed their decision: “We took the call on the ground about not taking the trophy.”
BCCI vows strong protest at ICC
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia described the situation as unacceptable. He said, speaking to ANI: “India is fighting a war with a country, and a leader belonging to that country was supposed to hand over the trophy to us…We cannot accept a trophy from a person who represents a country that is waging a war against our country. So we have refused to take that trophy, but that does not mean that the gentleman will take the trophy and the medals, which are to be given to our country, to his own hotel room. That is totally unexpected, and we hope that his good sense will prevail. We are going to lodge a very strong protest against the behaviour of the gentleman in today’s prize distribution ceremony.”
In addition to being ACC President and PCB Chair, Naqvi serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
Saikia added congratulations for the team: “My first reaction is that BCCI is extremely happy and we congratulate Indian cricket team for defeating Pakistan, hands down, at the group stage, at the Super 4, as well as in the final. All three matches were one sided and we congratulate our players as well as the support staff for bringing a lot of glory to our country. We are very proud of our team and they have excellently delivered on the cricket pitch.”
Saikia continued: “Our armed forces have delivered in the border area. Now the same thing has been repeated in Dubai. So this is an excellent moment, a momentous occasion for Indian cricket.”
Confirming the prize, Saikia said to the PTI: “We are very happy and they have done an extremely good job on the ground, defeating Pakistan 3-0. And there was absolutely no resistance. All the matches were one sided. So we have decided that there will be a cash reward to the Indian team, which will be 21 crores. It will be distributed among the players and all the support staff.”
He also underlined the consistency with government policy: “Actually, BCCI from the very first day, we have followed the spirit and the policy formulated by the Government of India regarding all games, cricketers were no exception. When it is a bilateral tournament, India is not going to play against Pakistan or any other hostile country. And BCCI has been doing it for the last 12 to 15 years… But today, with this handsome win over Pakistan and the thumping victory of 3-0, I am sure we will bring a lot of happiness to our people. The country is really proud of the performance of Indian cricket team.”
Pakistan captain criticises India
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha was openly critical of India’s decision, stating at the post-match press conference: “Sir, our actions were just consequences of what happened earlier in the tournament. You are asking me questions, but who started it? Look at that. If the ACC President is there, he will give away the trophy. If you don’t want to take the trophy from him, then how will you get the trophy?”
Agha continued: “Sir, what has happened in this tournament is very disappointing. If you look at cricket, they are thinking that if they do not shake hands with us, they are disrespecting us. No, sir, they are disrespecting cricket. What they did today, a good team will never behave this way. A good team will behave just like we did. We were waiting there to receive our medals. We got our pictures taken separately with the trophy before the start of the game. Whatever they are doing with the game, I don’t want to use very harsh words. This is very disrespectful; they are being disrespectful to the game.”
Agha added: “(India Captain Suryakumar Yadav) shook hands with me in private at the start of the tournament… Both at the pre-tournament press conference and when we met in the referee’s meeting. But when they’re out in front of the cameras, they don’t shake our hands. I’m sure he’s following the instructions he’s been given, but if it was up to him, he’d shake hands with me.”
He continued: “I’m not just a Pakistan captain, I’m a cricket fan. If a kid is watching in India or Pakistan, we’re not sending them a good message. People think of us as role models, but if we’re behaving like this, we’re not inspiring them.”
On the cricket itself, Agha conceded: “We are not playing good cricket against them, and if you look at it overall, we are still behind them. Every team has an era-maybe this is theirs. We used to beat them in the ’90s; now they are beating us, and you will see very soon we will start beating them.”
He concluded by announcing Pakistan’s donation: “As a team, we are donating our match fees to our civilians who were affected during the Indian attack.”
Shoaib Malik says decision will haunt India
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik criticised India’s choice not to lift the trophy. He said:
“Just look at how much pressure the players went through, how much heat they endured, how much hard work they put in. For what? To win the trophy, to win the tournament. And then, when they worked so hard, they didn’t even come to take the trophy. You see, today they may be celebrating this decision in their own way, but down the line, after a few years, this will haunt them. We won the trophy, we worked so hard, but we never collected it,” speaking on ‘Game On Hai’ show on PTV Sports
He continued: “At the end of the day, they are athletes, they are sportsmen. A sportsman’s job is to come on the field, give your best shot, and that’s it. This was such a massive achievement, such a close match, and not collecting the trophy—it means missing out on the moment. It was a massive moment.”
Suryakumar explains India’s approach
In an exclusive interview with NDTV’s Boria Majumdar, Suryakumar said: “I think there has to be a difference between the two sides. We never made any gesture, no hand movements. We wanted to play the game with dignity. They wanted to make a statement outside. The result can go in any team’s favour. But when you come back, you should be happy with the effort you gave, the game you played. From outside, people think a lot happens, but I told the players, ‘Let’s keep the emotions aside and play a good game. Whatever comes at the end, we’ll take it.’”
What next
India’s ninth Asia Cup victory was a commanding statement on the field but became equally memorable for the drama off it. With the BCCI set to lodge a protest over the missing trophy, and Pakistan’s players and former stars voicing their criticism, the tournament’s conclusion reflected the tense political backdrop as much as the cricket.
