Asia Cup trophy row could be in focus at ICC meeting on Friday

Dubai: The ongoing controversy surrounding the Asia Cup trophy has deepened, with reports indicating that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is preparing to file formal complaints against Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board meeting currently under way in Dubai.

According to Telecom Asia Sport, the BCCI has compiled a detailed list of charges questioning Naqvi’s eligibility to simultaneously hold multiple public and cricket administrative roles. Besides serving as PCB chairman, Naqvi is also the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan’s Interior Minister — a combination the BCCI argues violates ICC governance and conflict-of-interest norms.

Earlier media reports suggested that Naqvi might skip the Dubai meeting. But if Naqvi does attend, sources say the unresolved issue of the Asia Cup trophy will top the BCCI’s agenda.

Following India’s victory over Pakistan in the final on September 28, the trophy remains unhanded to the Indian team. Indian players declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi, who subsequently left the venue with it.

Later, Naqvi offered to host a trophy presentation ceremony in Dubai on November 5, a proposal the BCCI reportedly rejected, warning it would escalate the matter at the ICC board meeting if the trophy was not formally handed over by November 3.

Sources indicate that the BCCI’s forthcoming complaint will also question Naqvi’s dual roles, arguing they breach international cricket’s governance standards. The Indian board is said to have the backing of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on this issue.

A BCCI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, reportedly stated that “the matter has gone beyond the trophy — it’s about governance, transparency, and adherence to ICC norms.”