Sportsmanship is the backbone of global sport. And when one nation repeatedly tramples on basic etiquette, decorum, and respect for the game, it becomes an international embarrassment that demands firm action. Today, that rogue actor is unmistakably Pakistan — more specifically, Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s former Interior Minister, current PCB chairman, and by default Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
His outrageous stunt after the Asia Cup final — refusing to hand over the trophy to the rightful winners, India — is not just childish petulance. It is a direct insult to the spirit of cricket and an ugly misuse of office.
India convincingly won the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai, thrashing Pakistan not once but three times en route to the title. But when the time came to celebrate the championship, Naqvi refused the Indian side their right to receive the trophy — simply because they would not accept it from a man who has openly indulged in anti-India rhetoric.
He then walked away with the trophy and absurdly informed the BCCI that if India wanted it, they should collect it personally — from him.
Was this the Asia Cup? Or some petty power game where a minister treats a continental trophy as private property?
By removing the trophy from ACC headquarters and reportedly shifting it to an unknown location, Naqvi has crossed into behaviour befitting a playground bully, not the head of a premier continental cricket body.
This is not a protocol dispute. It is theft of recognition. A denial of honour owed to a champion team.
This episode did not occur in isolation. Throughout the tournament:
- When India refused to shake hands with Pakistani players — a silent protest after the Pahalgam terror attack — Pakistan sought to bully the ICC into removing match referee Andy Pycroft.
- Pakistani players then resorted to disturbing militaristic gestures referencing war, leading to fines and sanctions by the ICC.
- Even after disciplinary action, their conduct remained hostile, not repentant.
Pakistan’s cricket establishment is weaponizing the sport to peddle politics and animosity. And the trophy saga is simply the final straw.
The Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, kept their dignity — even jokingly lifting an imaginary trophy during celebrations. But BCCI’s patience has limits.
After weeks of reminders to the ACC to return what is rightfully India’s, the Board has now decided to escalate the matter at the ICC headquarters in Dubai. This should never have been necessary.
The ICC exists to protect the sport from political sabotage. If it fails to check such behaviour now, a dangerous precedent will be set:
- What stops another official from hiding a World Cup trophy?
- What prevents politically motivated sanctions against players?
- How long before cricket loses its global credibility?
Naqvi must face direct and exemplary punishment:
- Immediate suspension as ACC Chairman
- Fines and sanctions against PCB
- Mandatory public apology and trophy handover
- And if Pakistan continues its belligerence, a temporary ban from ICC events
Cricket is not a circus where a hostile minister dictates terms.
India has done its part — won fairly, played fairly, and waited fairly. The time for diplomacy is over. The time for accountability is now.
The world’s most prestigious cricket platforms cannot be held hostage to petty nationalism and vindictive behaviour.
ICC must act. And act decisively. Because in international sport, trophies belong to the team that wins them — not the politician who refuses to accept defeat.
