BCCI refused to accept Asia Cup trophy from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi to honour Pahalgam victims, says Devajit Saikia

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had pre-emptively informed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian team would not accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, according to BCCI Joint Secretary Devajit Saikia.

Saikia emphasised that the Indian cricket board is bound by the nation's diplomatic policies and cannot act against national interests. By boycotting the presentation ceremony, the BCCI and the team paid tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

"The BCCI cannot act against the diplomatic interests of our country. We had informed the ACC in advance that we would not accept the trophy from Naqvi if we won. This was not a decision taken arbitrarily by the BCCI or the players; we are duty-bound to align with the country's national interests. By staying away from the presentation ceremony, we were honouring the victims of the Pahalgam attack," Saikia said.

An alternative proposal rejected
The BCCI official revealed that they had proposed an alternative arrangement to the ACC to avoid a complete standoff. "We requested that either the President or the Vice Chairman present the trophy. Our stance was crystal clear, particularly after the Pahalgam incident, as the ACC Chairman also serves as the Interior Minister of a country that does not share friendly relations with us. Therefore, we refused to receive the trophy from him," he explained.

Saikia added that the Indian delegation would have gladly participated if ACC Deputy Chairman Khalid Sahib had presented the trophy. "We suggested this, but our proposal was not accepted, leaving us with no other choice," he said.

Trophies to arrive in India soon
Despite the ceremony dispute, Saikia assured fans that the physical silverware would arrive in India shortly. "Both the trophies will reach India very soon. We will receive not only the Women’s Asia Cup trophy but also the Men’s Asia Cup trophy," he said.

Saikia also criticised Naqvi for deviating from established administrative protocols. He noted that during the tenure of current ICC Chairman Jay Shah at the helm of the ACC, it was customary for officials from the winning team's home board to present the trophy to the champions. However, this tradition has been abandoned since last year under the current leadership. This tradition, however, has been abandoned since last year under the current leadership.

Fans were left in a state of ‘Deja Vu’ on Sunday after watching the Women's team hesitated to step onto the podium for the presentation. This was against the backdrop of the Indian men’s team refusing to collect the trophy from Naqvi after beating Pakistan in the Men’s Asia Cup T20 final a year earlier.