Former Pakistani cricket international, Basit Ali, has publicly come to the defense of Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Naqvi faced significant criticism for his role in a controversy that erupted following the Asia Cup 2025 final. India, under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, clinched the Asia Cup title by defeating Pakistan with a five-wicket margin. However, the Indian team reportedly declined to receive their winner`s trophy from Naqvi.
This refusal led to an abrupt conclusion of the presentation ceremony, with reports indicating that Naqvi subsequently left the venue with the trophy, leaving the Indian squad to celebrate their victory without it. Despite widespread condemnation of Naqvi`s actions, Basit Ali sharply criticized India`s conduct, labeling it as “third-rate” and even advised Naqvi against handing over the trophy.
“They might be the No. 1-ranked team, but their actions are decidedly third-rate. Mohsin Naqvi should present the trophy. If they choose not to accept it, they would bring disgrace upon themselves in the eyes of the world. The trophy absolutely should not be handed over,” Basit Ali stated during an interview with Pakistan`s ARY News.
Following India`s decision to not accept the trophy from Naqvi, the PCB chief reportedly took the Asia Cup trophy back to his hotel room. The situation escalated further, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly advocating for Naqvi`s removal from his position as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, citing “alleged breaches of conduct and protocol.”
Currently, the Asia Cup trophy is in the custody of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cricket board. There has been no official confirmation regarding the arrangements for its eventual handover to India, nor a specified timeline for this to occur.
Basit Ali reiterated his strong disapproval, emphasizing that his stance would be consistent regardless of the teams involved. He asserted that if a similar scenario had transpired in an International Cricket Council (ICC) event, and Pakistan had refused to accept a trophy from an official like Jay Shah, he would have voiced the same criticism. He further elaborated on his viewpoint:
“You are the top-ranked team, you played exceptionally well and won, but what is the reason for this defiance? Mohsin Naqvi holds the leadership position in the Asian Cricket Council. Imagine if this were an ICC event and Pakistan had declined to accept the trophy from Jay Shah; Pakistan would undoubtedly be in the wrong in that situation.”
