Indian team’s decision was deliberate to not receive trophy from representative of nation waging war against India: BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia
STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 29 (STC): Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia has stated that the decision to not receive the Asia Cup Trophy wasn’t impulsive and they won’t accept the silverware from a representative of a nation that is waging war against India.
In an unprecedented turn of events in Dubai on Sunday night, Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi walked away with the Asia Cup trophy and players’ medals after the champion Indian team refused to receive the awards from him.
He told CNN News18 during an exclusive chat that the Indian team’s decision was deliberate. “We had already communicated that we would not accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, because he is not just the ACC chairman but also a senior leader from Pakistan. For us, it is not possible to take an award from someone who represents a country that is openly hostile and waging war against India,” Saikia said.
“The players were ready to receive the trophy, but only if it was presented by a neutral ACC or match official. When the insistence came that the presentation would be done by Naqvi himself, the team decided to stay away. That was not an impulsive act — it was a conscious and unanimous decision,” he added.
Saikia further exposed how Naqvi, who is also the interior minister of Pakistan and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, breached the ACC protocol by leaving the venue with the trophy and medals meant for the victorious Indian cricket team.
“Unfortunately, after the presentation, the gentleman walked away with the trophy and even the medals meant for our players. That is completely against sporting spirit and against ACC protocol. We hope good sense will prevail, and that the trophy and medals will be handed over to us in due course,” he said.
“We will be lodging a strong protest with the ACC and also at the ICC conference in November. Such behaviour cannot be allowed to set a precedent. Cricket is about fair play, and this was anything but fair play,” he added.
(Inputs from Agencies / Straight Talk Communications)
