The BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has alleged the Pakistan board and Asian Cricket Council Mohsin Naqvi walked away with the Asia Cup trophy and the individual medals of the champion team after Team India refused to receive the silverware from him at the post-match ceremony. He further added that the BCCI would be registering a protest against Naqvi at the International Cricket Council meeting next month.
“We had decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman who happens to be one of the leading leaders of Pakistan. But that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy along with the medals. It is very unfortunate, very unsporting and we hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible. We are going to protest against this at the ICC conference in November,” Saikia said after India’s 5 wicket-win over Pakistan in the final, their third against the arch-rivals in this tournament.
The Indian board office-bearer also reacted to the Indian PM Narendra Modi posted on X: “#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers”.
“Our armed forces have delivered it in the border area, now the same thing has been repeated in Dubai. So this is an excellent moment, a momentous occasion for Indian cricket … It was Operation Sindoor earlier and now it is Operation Killa. So it is an extremely befitting reply to all the nonsense activities done by some of the hostile country persons. So I don’t think there can be a better reply to this occasion on the grand occasion of the final Dubai match, ” Saikia said.
He also shared BCCI’s long term stand on playing Pakistan. “BCCI has followed the spirit and the policy formulated by the Government of India regarding all games.So when it is a bilateral tournament, India is not going to play against Pakistan or any other hostile country. And the BCCI has been doing it for the last 12 to 15 years. The Government has said that in multinational tournaments, whether it is cricket or football, we have to play. Otherwise, the federation will be banned by international federations. So we followed the policy of the Central Government.”
He also said the BCCI has give the team a bonus of Rs 21 crore.
