A major administrative friction point has emerged in Asian cricket as both the Men's and Women's Asia Cup trophies won by India remain located in Pakistan. Reliable sources confirm that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) headquarters, currently under the presidency of Mohsin Naqvi (who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board), holds physical possession of the hardware. The stalemate highlights a deep diplomatic rift between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the ACC leadership regarding official presentation protocols.
The situation came to public attention following remarks by BCCI Joint Secretary Devajit Saikia, who indicated to Indian media that the trophies would eventually arrive at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. However, Saikia stopped short of outlining a concrete timeline. Cricket analysts and media observers note that the BCCI appears to be waiting out the current ACC presidential term. Under the existing governance rotation, Mohsin Naqvi's tenure as ACC President runs until April 2027, after which the presidency is scheduled to transition to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), currently headed by Tamim Iqbal.
Nevertheless, the assumption of a smooth transition in 2027 overlooks precedents in ACC governance. Previous presidents, including Jay Shah, received unanimous term extensions during their tenure. If Naqvi receives an extension beyond April 2027, the current impasse could extend indefinitely unless a protocol agreement is reached.
The core of the dispute rests on conflicting positions regarding presentation ceremonies. ACC President Mohsin Naqvi has maintained that the ACC was present and prepared to award the trophies on stage following both the Men's and Women's Asia Cup finals. Because team representatives declined to accept the hardware under those specific event conditions, the trophies were retained by the governing body. The ACC leadership maintains that the trophies remain available for collection, provided the receiving board accepts them through formal ACC presidential protocols and designated events, rather than via indirect logistics.
This dispute underlines the ongoing complexity of managing regional sports governance when bilateral diplomatic relations affect organizational protocols. As long as neither side shifts its position on ceremony attendance and handover procedures, the physical trophies will remain at the ACC office in Pakistan.
