Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB adopts new strategy to thwart BCCI in ICC meeting amid Asia Cup trophy row

With the drama surrounding the Asia Cup trophy refusing to die down, the Pakistan Cricket Board is already preparing for the possibility of a showdown with the Board of Control for Cricket in India at an International Cricket Council meeting next month.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has been thwarting the BCCI’s attempts to secure the Asia Cup trophy that belongs to the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team for nearly a month now. And with the BCCI threatening to escalate the matter to the ICC for their refusal to co-operate, the PCB is wasting no time to ensure they have their defences in place for the upcoming Indo-Pak showdown, which will be taking place in a boardroom instead of a cricket field.

PCB instructs its legal team to prepare for upcoming showdown with BCCI

According to news agency Press Trust of India, a source in the PCB has stated that the board’s legal department has been instructed to prepare a dossier in case the BCCI attempts to censure Naqvi at the upcoming ICC meeting.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had recently revealed that the world’s richest cricket organisation will be lodging a complaint against Naqvi before the governing body for the sport and attempt to get him removed as a Director in the ICC.

More from First Cricket

Rohit’s extra-cautious approach got him a much-needed fifty, but also exposed his insecurity under Gill and Gambhir 'Fabulous, brilliant': Mandhana, Rawal slam tons as Indian batters breathe fire in must-win World Cup clash against NZ

Naqvi, who also happens to be Pakistan’s Interior Minister as well as the current president of the Asian Cricket Council, has refused to relent to the BCCI’s demands, stating that only he has the authority to present the Asia Cup trophy to the Indian team.

Responding to the BCCI’s latest mail, Naqvi insisted that he would be happy to hand the trophy over so long as the Indian board sent an official along with any available player to collect it at the ACC’s Dubai headquarters.

The Indian team had refused to collect the Asia Cup trophy as well as the winners’ medals from Naqvi in protest against the Pahalgam terror attack in April as well as the PCB chief’s controversial social media post in which he attempted to mock the Indian armed forces.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

'Won't require surgery...': Real reason behind Jasprit Bumrah's absence from 5th Test revealed in new report

PCB bans players from WCL over India-Pakistan match controversy

Naqvi chose to take the trophy with him to his hotel room after the conclusion of the presentation ceremony, and has since put it under lock and key at the ACC headquarters, ordering it to not be moved without his prior permission.

As far as the ACC is concerned, the BCCI currently has the support of the Sri Lankan (SLC) and Afghan (ACB) cricket boards on the Asia Cup trophy row while Bangladesh (BCB) has sided with the PCB.