Following India's Asia Cup victory, a controversy has erupted regarding the trophy presentation, drawing criticism from cricket legend AB de Villiers. The Indian team reportedly refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan's Interior Minister and the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman.
De Villiers has weighed in on the matter, emphasizing that "politics should stay aside". He expressed his disappointment with the situation, stating, "Team India sort of weren't happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don't feel that belongs in sport". He further added, "Sport is one thing and it should be celebrated for what it is. Quite sad to see that, but hopefully, they will sort things out in the future". De Villiers acknowledged the difficult position this puts athletes in, saying, "It does put the sport, the players, the sportsmen, the cricketers in a very tough position, and that's what I hate to see. It was quite awkward there at the end".
The incident occurred after India's victory in the Asia Cup final in Dubai. Reports indicate that the Indian team was made to wait for over an hour to receive their trophy because they refused to accept it from Naqvi. Ultimately, the team celebrated their win without the trophy in hand. As of three days after the final, the Indian team had yet to receive the winner's trophy and medals.
Naqvi has responded to the situation by stating that India is welcome to collect the trophy from the ACC office in Dubai. He also refuted claims that he apologized to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials for his actions during the presentation ceremony, dismissing such reports as "cheap propaganda".
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated that the BCCI would lodge a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the ACC chairperson's behavior. Saikia called the ACC chairperson's act "very unfortunate, very unsporting,".
Tensions between India and Pakistan have been simmering, and this incident has further strained relations between the two cricket boards. It's worth noting that India and Pakistan typically only meet in cricket on neutral territory during international tournaments due to these long-standing tensions. The Asia Cup was held in the UAE. In May, there was a deadly military conflict between the two nations. During the tournament, gestures were exchanged between players from both teams that mimicked military actions.
