How Mohsin Naqvi continues to dominate headlines weeks after Asia Cup trophy controversy

It has been several weeks since India won the Asia Cup T20 in Dubai by defeating Pakistan in the final, but the focus has not been on cricket. Instead, it has remained on the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, and is accused of walking away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to receive it from him following their win.

Naqvi has taken several decisions in the recent past that have grabbed attention. From making key changes in the Pakistan cricket team to getting involved in a war of words with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), here’s a look at the complete timeline of the latest controversies involving Naqvi.

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No handshake drama

The drama began even before the final started. India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha refused to shake hands during the toss. The Indian team had also snubbed their Pakistani counterparts after the league matches and again after the final.

The Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB filed a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over India’s refusal to shake hands and even threatened to withdraw from the tournament after their request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from their games was rejected.

Trophy presentation controversy

After India’s win in the final, a new controversy erupted. The Indian players refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi, who stood waiting on stage for nearly 20 minutes before walking away with it. The presentation ceremony was delayed by nearly an hour before the Indian team was forced to celebrate without a trophy.

The Indian team’s refusal stemmed from the fact that Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, had made several inappropriate remarks about India in the past. His conduct during the Asia Cup was also criticised, as he was seen acting more like the PCB chief than the ACC president.

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Naqvi’s apology reports

At the ACC meeting on September 30, reports emerged claiming that Naqvi apologised to the BCCI for the chaotic events after the final. Many thought that would end the matter. But it didn’t as Naqvi later denied ever apologising to the BCCI and said that if India truly wants the trophy, they must come to the ACC office in Dubai to collect it from him personally.

Trophy locked away

According to reports, the Asia Cup trophy is still locked inside the ACC headquarters in Dubai. Naqvi has reportedly issued orders that it cannot be moved or handed over without his personal approval. The BCCI is still working on ways to bring the trophy back home.

Trophy moved to a different location

Meanwhile, another report recently claimed that Naqvi had moved the Asia Cup trophy to a different location in Abu Dhabi. The report suggested that a BCCI official visited the Asia Cup headquarters in Dubai to enquire about the trophy, only to be informed that Naqvi had taken it with him to another location.

BCCI-PCB face-off looming

The matter is now set to reach the ICC stage. The BCCI and PCB are preparing for a heated exchange during next month’s ICC meeting as Naqvi insists he must personally hand over the trophy. In a formal letter, he wrote that the trophy belongs to the Indian team but will remain with him until an official BCCI representative comes to collect it.

November 10 offer

In his letter, Naqvi also said that he is willing to organise a ceremony on November 10 to hand over the trophy to anyone from the BCCI or the Indian team. However, it remains to be seen if India will accept the invitation.

“The ACC trophy rightly belongs to the Indian cricket team and is being held in trust till such time that a BCCI office holder along with any available participating player can collect the same from the ACC President,” Naqvi is said to have written in the letter.

Bizarre changes in PCB

Naqvi has made a couple of key changes in the PCB. He recently sacked Pakistan’s ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan days before the series against South Africa and appointed Shaheen Shah Afridi in his place. Meanwhile, he also took a bizarre decision to give Test skipper Shan Masood an administrative role. He has been appointed as PCB’s consultant for international cricket.