The joy of triumph was spoiled on Sunday night by Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi, when he insisted on handing over the Asia Cup trophy to champions Team India, but our team refused to take the trophy from him because Naqvi also happens to be Pakistan Home Minister.
This controversy, unprecedented in international cricket, took place at Dubai international stadium after India defeated Pakistan in the final.
The Indian team was willing to accept the trophy from Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al zarooni, but Naqvi was not ready to give in.
Finally, Naqvi left with the Asian Cup trophy and, alongwith it, the medals that were to be given to the winning team players.
Indian cricket board BCCI has written a letter to International Cricket Council objecting to the behaviour of the PCB chief. Social media was flooded with thousands of memes lampooning the Pakistani minister.
Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav announced that he would donate his entire match fees of the tournament to the Indian army, and, with a smile, remarked, at least this would not create any fresh controversy.
In a tit-for-tat gesture, Pakistan team captain Salman Ali Agha also announced he would donate his entire match fees to the families of those who died on May 7 during Indian army’s Operation Sindoor attacks on terror hideouts in Pakistan.
Suryakumar Yadav’s question is genuine. He said, we won all Asia Cup matches, defeated Pakistan thrice, and yet Pakistan went away with the trophy. The team that won the Asia Cup is empty handed, while the team that lost is sitting pretty with the trophy and medals.
This is mockery at its lowest. Why Mohsin Naqvi insisted that he would hand over the trophy to Team India? Would heavens had fallen if the host country UAE’s cricket board vice-chairman had given the trophy to Team India?
PCB chairman is behaving in exactly the same manner in which Pakistan Army Chief did post-Operation Sindoor. With terror hideouts, air base runways and hangar devastated, Asim Munir was crowing a fake victory.
But Suryakumar Yadav and his team replied to the rival’s empty sounding boasts with their bat and ball. Not once, but thrice, in a single tournament. If Mohsin Naqvi has a modicum of shame left, he should hand over the trophy and medals to Team India, otherwise ICC must take action against the Pakistan Cricket Board chief.
The PCB chief has become the butt of ridicule on social media. One joke was classic, in which the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif was shown posting a message congratulating Pakistan team for winning the Asia Cup and defeating India in all three matches. In the post, the Pakistani PM was shown comparing the attacks of his fast bowlers with missiles and his batters with Pakistan’s air defence systems.
The joke also says, credit for the victory should go to Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir because his army had been imparting training to the cricket team for the last one year.
The satirical joke further depicts Shehbaz Sharif as writing that he has asked the PCB chairman to raise the issue with ICC about why fake matches are being telecast on TV. The Pakistani PM was shown telling his people to trust his words that the army and players have won all matches, including the Cup.
There are many such jokes and memes which are already viral on social media and people are having a whale of a time going through them.