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Ahmedabad: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Dhaka on Tuesday ended without any breakthrough in the Asia Cup trophy impasse, but not without the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making a point.
BCCI was represented by former treasurer Ashish Shelar and vice-president Rajiv Shukla. It is understood that Shelar asked ACC president Mohsin Naqvi to respect the dignity of the chair he holds and congratulate the Indian cricket team for their Asia Cup success in his opening remarks for the meet to progress.
Once Naqvi made a reference to the winning team, BCCI representatives made their displeasure over the refusal to hand over the winning trophy to India known and walked out.
Indian officials also reminded the chair that they would raise the matter at the appropriate forum in the International Cricket Council (ICC).
In an unprecedented turn of events, the Suryakumar Yadav-led winning team are yet to receive the Asia Cup and their winning medals after beating Pakistan in the final on Sunday.
This after Naqvi dismissed any alternative arrangements to present the winning trophy. The Indian team had refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also a minister with the Pakistan government. That’s keeping in line with India’s decision not to shake hands with Pakistan during the tournament, being held in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor.
Once BCCI’s position became clear, the ACC comprising 25 members, concluded the meet, leaving it upon Asia’s major cricket boards in the ICC – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to meet at a later date to find a solution.
BCCI is set to take the matter up in the ICC meetings in November.
“We had decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan. But that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy and the medals. It was very unfortunate, very unsporting. We hope the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible. We will definitely lodge a serious complaint against this act of the ACC Chairperson in the ICC meeting,” Devajit Saikia, BCCI secretary had said on Sunday.
Even though India dominated Pakistan throughout the tournament with three wins, each of the matches were played in a charged atmosphere with players from both sides’ coming up with in-your-face celebrations with cryptic references to the recent war between the two nations.
