The Asia Cup final has been overshadowed by a fresh controversy after the Indian team reportedly refused to receive the tournament trophy following the final.
According to sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi maintained his position and did not step back from his stance. The sources said that Naqvi had also remained firm on the same issue last year.
“India had a choice tonight, but once again it chose politics over cricket,” PCB sources said.
The development has added to tensions between the cricket boards of Pakistan and India, with PCB sources describing it as an emerging pattern of behaviour. They pointed to previous incidents involving the absence of a handshake and said that the trophy issue represents another such episode within a year.
“First there was no handshake, and now there is no trophy — twice in one year,” the PCB sources said.
Event-related sources said the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) followed the established protocol and maintained that the disruption came from only one side.
The ACC also indicated that the trophy remains available and that there has been no change in its position.
“The trophy remains available, as it always has been. There has been no change in our position,” an ACC source said.
The controversy has once again brought the strained cricketing relationship between Pakistan and India into the spotlight, with the Asia Cup final now attracting attention beyond the result on the field.
