 "Mohsin Naqvi to receive special gold medal for firm stance in Asia Cup standoff with India: Report")
The Asia Cup 2025 trophy drama is still making headlines, and now a new twist has come. According to reports, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi will be given a special gold medal for his strong stance during the trophy handover controversy with India.
Naqvi wanted to personally hand over the Asia Cup trophy to the Indian team after they beat Pakistan in the final last Sunday. But the Indian players refused to take it from him, and this led to a big controversy. Naqvi took the trophy away with him, leaving the Indian players without a chance to celebrate with it on the field.
The Indian team has still not received the trophy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is unhappy with the situation and is considering filing a formal complaint against Naqvi with the International Cricket Council (ICC). Reports also suggest Naqvi told the BCCI that if India want the trophy, they would have to collect it directly from him at the ACC office.
Naqvi to be honoured for stance against India
Now, reports have emerged in Pakistani media claiming that Naqvi is all set to be awarded the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal in Karachi. The award is being given for what Pakistani authorities are calling his “firm and principled stance” against Indian demands during the Asia Cup final.
Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, who is the president of Karachi Basketball Association, has reportedly announced the award for Naqvi. according to The Nation, the medal will be presented at a grand ceremony in Karachi and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is expected to be the chief guest.
The recently concluded Asia Cup 2025, which was held in the T20 format in the UAE, saw heightened tensions between bitter rivals India and Pakistan. The Indian team refused to shake hands with Pakistani players in all three matches they played against each other in the tournament.
Naqvi, despite being the ACC president and expected to remain neutral, openly sided with the Pakistan team. He even asked the players to stay back at their hotel ahead of their match against the UAE in an attempt to pressure the ICC to take action against match referee Andy Pycroft, who officiated during the India-Pakistan game and allegedly did nothing about India’s decision not to shake hands.
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