ACC Trophy Controversy: Indian Team Invited to Dubai

Dubai, Oct 1 (PTI) - The ongoing controversy surrounding the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has taken a new turn. ACC Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Wednesday that the Indian cricket team is "welcome" to collect the Asia Cup trophy from ACC's headquarters in Dubai. The drama unfolds as disputes regarding the champions being denied the trophy continue to escalate.

Posting on X, Naqvi dismissed reports suggesting that he had apologized to the BCCI during the ACC AGM on Tuesday for his actions at the presentation ceremony on Sunday. He reportedly walked away with the trophy after the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, chose not to accept it from him.

Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and the interior minister of Pakistan, is widely recognized for his anti-India political stance. "As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now. If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me," he stated.

"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," he asserted.

Representatives from the BCCI, Ashish Shelar and Rajeev Shukla, had voiced a strong objection over the trophy not being handed over to the Indian team during the AGM. Naqvi had assured BCCI officials on Tuesday of his readiness to give the trophy to the Indian side, but no resolution was reached during the meeting, causing further dissatisfaction among BCCI's top officials.

The BCCI plans to escalate the issue to the International Cricket Council (ICC) during its meeting in November.

The tense relations were obvious during the tournament as the Indian and Pakistani teams faced off three times, with India emerging victorious in each encounter, including in the final match. The Indian team maintained a 'no handshake policy' with the Pakistani players during the event, a stance that agitated the PCB.

The hostilities between India and Pakistan have intensified following the Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the death of 26 Indian tourists due to actions by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

Subsequently, India initiated military action, coined as 'Operation Sindoor,' aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure across the border.

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