ICC makes first significant move to mediate BCCI vs Mohsin Naqvi Asia Cup trophy dispute

The International Cricket Council (ICC) met in Dubai on Friday to discuss key issues related to the expansion of the Women’s World Cup, the Olympics and Mithali Raj’s new role on the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee. Another pressing issue that caught the attention of every Indian fan during the ICC Board meeting was the Asian Cup debate. India, which clinched the Asian Cup 2025 championship on September 28, is yet to claim the trophy after it was received by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi. This incident occurred after Indian players refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who also chairs the Asian Cricket Council.

Sources say that BCCI raised the issue of Naqvi retaining the Asian Cup trophy in the ICC meeting. All ICC Board members emphasized the importance of India and Pakistan in the world of cricket and the need for both countries to resolve their disputes amicably. A resolution on the Asian Cup issue was passed, leading to the formation of a committee tasked with immediately addressing the situation so that India could finally claim the trophy. What is noteworthy is that the Asian Cup trophy dispute was not included in the official agenda and therefore no minutes were recorded regarding this development.

The ongoing debate over the 2025 Asia Cup trophy stemmed from India’s five-wicket victory over Suryakumar Yadav-led Salman Agha’s Pakistan team at the Dubai International Stadium, which saw India win their ninth Asian Cup title.

However, the post-match celebrations took an unexpected turn when the Indian team chose not to accept the trophy or medals from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Home Minister and PCB Chairman.

The rejection, attributed to ongoing tensions between the two countries, resulted in chaotic scenes and an unprecedented trophyless celebration for India. Despite BCCI’s official call to resolve the situation, the issue is still not resolved.

In a recent announcement, the ICC announced that the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup in 2029 will see an increase in participants, increasing from the current eight teams to ten teams. On November 2, India celebrated a historic victory by claiming its first global trophy in women’s cricket by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final held in Navi Mumbai.

“Eager to build on the success of the event, the ICC Board of Directors has agreed to expand the next edition of the tournament to 10 teams (from 8 teams in 2025),” an ICC press release stated.

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