ISLAMABAD (AP) — A top official of the Asian Cricket Council insisted on Wednesday that India is “welcome” to collect the Asia Cup trophy from him.
“As ACC President , I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now,” Mohsin Naqvi wrote on X.
“If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”
Naqvi is one of the most influential figures in the Pakistan government as the country’s Interior Minister, as well as being chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Simmering political tensions between India and Pakistan intensified on the cricket field last Sunday when Indian cricketers refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi, having already declined handshakes with their archrival for three consecutive matches. A day before the final, the ACC said that Naqvi would present the trophy to the winner.
On Wednesday, Indian media widely reported Naqvi apologized to ACC members the day before at the group’s annual general meeting in Dubai for a delay in the presentation ceremony.
“The PCB chief apologized to member nations for the delayed start to the presentation ceremony during the Asian cricket body’s meeting but remained defiant in his stance on denying India the trophy,” India Today said in its report.
Naqvi denied this.
“Indian media thrives on lies, not facts,” he said on X. “Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologized to the BCCI nor will I ever do so.
“This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people. Unfortunately, India continues to drag politics into cricket, damaging the very spirit of the game.”
The Asia Cup marked a resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan only months after in May that disrupted the IPL and the Pakistan Super League.
Indian cricketers refused to shake hands with Pakistan after their first and second games at the Asia Cup. Pakistan even threatened to quit the tournament over the “handshake controversy.”
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was reprimanded for his statements after the first game, while Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf was penalized for his on-field antics during the second game.
There were no handshakes before or after Sunday’s final. Suryakumar spoke with former India cricketer-turned-broadcaster Ravi Shastri, while his counterpart Salman Agha talked with former Pakistan cricketer-turned-broadcaster Waqar Younis.
India beat Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the Asia Cup for record ninth time as it chased down 147 in the last over on the back of Tilak Varma’s match-winning unbeaten half century.
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