PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi to Receive Gold Medal for Asia Cup Trophy Controversy

Karachi, Pakistan: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi is set to be honoured with the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal following the Asia Cup trophy controversy that sparked tensions between India and Pakistan.

The announcement was made by Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, President of the Sindh and Karachi Basketball Associations, who said Naqvi’s stance had “restored national pride” amid heightened political and sporting hostilities with India.

The controversy unfolded during the Asia Cup final when the Indian team declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister. The move was widely seen as a political snub. In response, Naqvi retained the trophy and later remarked on social media that the Indian players could collect it from the ACC headquarters “if they truly want it.”

Naqvi maintained that he had done “nothing wrong” and refused to apologise to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). His defiant stance won him support across Pakistan’s sports and political circles.

A formal award ceremony is expected in Karachi, with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari invited as the chief guest. A special committee led by Sindh Basketball Association Chairman Khalid Jameel Shamsi will oversee the event, with Commissioner Karachi’s Director of Sports Ghulam Muhammad Khan as secretary.

“This is not just about cricket. This is about dignity, sovereignty, and the refusal to bend under pressure,” said Ghulam Abbas Jamal.

The Trophy Row and Diplomatic Fallout

The Asia Cup was overshadowed by political tensions, with India enforcing a “no handshake” protocol with Pakistani players throughout the tournament. The issue escalated after the final — which India won — but refused to collect the trophy from Naqvi.

The BCCI has raised the matter at the ACC annual meeting and is likely to escalate it to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in November.

This controversy also played out against a grim diplomatic backdrop, following the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 Indian tourists and led to Indian military strikes under Operation Sindoor against militant camps in Pakistan.