Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has come up with a new plot to skip the ongoing four-day ICC Executive Meeting that commenced in Dubai on Tuesday (November 04). He cited ‘domestic political issues’ as the reason to avoid facing ICC’s wrath amidst the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 trophy missing controversy.
Moreover, the PCB source hasn’t revealed what exactly the political issues are that would obstruct the Pakistani interior minister Naqvi’s attendance.
Ever since the former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah was elected as the ICC Chairman last December, Naqvi hasn’t regularly attended the ICC meetings.
Naqvi’s Involvement Asia Cup 2025 Trophy Missing Controversy
As the four-day meeting started on November 04, Mohsin Naqvi, who is heading the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), will now have to be answerable for not handing over the trophy to the winning team.
The starting point of the controversy was during the Asia Cup 2025 final on September 28 (Sunday) in Dubai. It was reported that Team India denied accepting the trophy from the ACC president, Naqvi, since he is Pakistan’s interior minister.
Rather than stepping aside and allowing the officials present to hand over the cup, Naqvi silently fled away from the stadium with the trophy.
Currently, the Asia Cup 2025 trophy is safely locked in the ACC headquarters located in Dubai. Even after BCCI’s request multiple times, Naqvi instructed that the Indian team captain, Suryakumar Yadav, should collect the silverware from him in person, and warned the ACC staff not to move the trophy without his consent.
Meanwhile, several reports claimed that the 47-year-old PCB Chairman was ready to organize a separate trophy presentation ceremony in Dubai on November 10. However, the BCCI rejected the offer and warned that the issue would be escalated at the ICC meeting.
Who Will Attend The Meeting in Naqvi’s Absence?
According to the reports from various sources, Sumair Syed, the Chief Operating Officer of the PCB, is likely to attend the ICC meeting on Mohsin Naqvi’s absence. At the same time, the sources pointed out the chances of Naqvi appearing at the board meeting via virtual video call.
BCCI Secretary’s Recent Warning to Naqvi
Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, sternly warned Mohsin Naqvi that they will escalate the matter in the ICC meeting if the winning team doesn’t get handed the Asia Cup 2205 trophy by November 03 (Monday):
“See! Ten days ago, we submitted our written request to hand over the trophy to the BCCI as soon as possible. Till now, the winning team hasn’t received the trophy. Still, we are waiting for another day.
Suppose we don’t get the trophy by Monday (November 03), we will raise our complaints in front of the ruling body of international cricket. I am sure we will get justice in the ICC meeting headquartered in Dubai and hope for the global governing body to help India receive the trophy at the earliest,” the BCCI secretary said.
Fate of Mohsin Naqvi To Be Decided by Jay Shah in ICC Meeting
As the ICC chief executives gather for the most important board meeting headed by the ICC chairman Jay Shah, several issues would be sorted out, including the controversy related to the Asia Cup 2025 trophy.
Although the debates related to the ACC’s tournament aren’t officially a part of the meeting, informal decisions are certain to take place.
As India refused to collect the trophy from Pakistan’s interior minister as a protest over the Pahalgam terror attacks, the ACC chairman took away the trophy and denied handing it over to the champion’s team.
Also, the sources claimed that the ICC might take severe actions to sack Naqvi from the ACC’s president role, while several board members are demanding an impeachment.
Jay Shah is expected to sign the ICC’s official order once the formal decision is approved in Dubai.
ICC Keen to Improve India-Pakistan Cricketing Relations
Apart from the Indo-Pak cross-border tensions, the strained relationship between the BCCI and PCB continues to reflect the political rifts between the governments.
Also, the Asia Cup 2025 was filled with full of controversial moments, such as the no-handshake drama, comments, or gestures related to political conflicts by four players, namely Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Sahibzada Farhan, and Haris Rauf.
Mainly, Mohsin Naqvi’s dual role as the PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister has further worsened the situation than ever before. The mix of cricket and politics has raised uncertainty about whether the ACC president will take part in ICC meetings in Dubai or prefer to join remotely.
Also, the speculations about his banishment from the position of ACC leader have now continued to increase.
However, there is hope that the ICC officials are working behind the scenes to improve the cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan, given the commercial value of their on-field rivalry as well as for security reasons.
Overall, the key decisions taken by ICC in Dubai will certainly influence in shaping of the Asian cricket balance.
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