Mumbai, Sep 29: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing mounting criticism and possible international sanctions after a string of controversies at the recently concluded Men’s T20 Asia Cup, with the most explosive being their refusal to hand over the trophy to winners India.
According to a report in Telecom Asia Sport, the issue is expected to take centre stage at the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Board meeting, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) preparing to lodge a strong protest against what it has termed as “unsporting and unacceptable” behaviour by the PCB and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi.
Naqvi, who also serves as PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister, allegedly ordered the trophy to be removed from the stage after Indian players refused to accept it from him during the post-match presentation. The Indian camp was incensed, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia openly criticising the move and calling for the immediate return of the trophy and medals.
“It is very unfortunate, very unsporting and we hope that the trophy and medals will be returned to India as soon as possible,” Saikia said, while confirming that a formal complaint would be placed before the ICC. He further added that BCCI would raise the issue forcefully at the Dubai meeting next week.
The episode capped weeks of tensions that began with Pakistan objecting to match referee Andy Pycroft during the India-Pakistan clash on September 14. The PCB accused Pycroft of siding with BCCI after India’s request that their captain Suryakumar Yadav not shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart at the toss. PCB even demanded Pycroft’s removal, which the ICC flatly rejected, warning that such a precedent would damage the game’s integrity.
That rejection reportedly pushed Pakistan to the brink of pulling out of the tournament before their final group-stage match, a move that further soured relations with both the ICC and the BCCI.
Matters escalated again when Pakistan players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan courted controversy with provocative gestures on the field, leading to complaints from the Indian side.
But it was the trophy fiasco in Dubai that proved the flashpoint. Witnesses told the portal that ACC officials Aminul Islam and Mubashir Usmani tried to persuade Naqvi to step aside and allow others to conduct the presentation, but he allegedly refused, citing instructions from higher authorities. The unprecedented decision to remove the trophy instead of presenting it shocked players, officials and spectators alike.
For the BCCI, the matter is not just about cricketing etiquette but about respect for the game itself. Saikia, while congratulating the Indian team for a dominant 3-0 record over Pakistan in the tournament, made it clear that the board would not let the incident pass. “This is definitely something we are going to pursue. We will launch a very strong protest against the act of the ACC chairperson,” he asserted.
The ICC’s leadership, currently headed by chairman Jay Shah, is said to be taking the matter seriously, with sources suggesting that sanctions against the PCB could be discussed. These could range from financial penalties to restrictions on Pakistan hosting international tournaments under the ICC’s banner.
As things stand, Pakistan’s actions have not only invited international scrutiny but also deepened the rift with the BCCI, which has already linked the trophy row to a larger pattern of defiance and confrontation. With the ICC Board meeting only days away, all eyes will be on Dubai to see how cricket’s global governing body responds to what many are calling one of the most unprecedented breaches of sporting conduct in recent memory. (IANS)
