Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf supported Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi after he was criticised for his role in the ongoing Asia Cup controversy. India defeated Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the Asia Cup 2025 title but the Suryakumar Yadav-led side refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi. The PCB chief left the presentation ceremony with the trophy while the Indian cricketers celebrated without it. The decision to leave with the trophy has resulted in a lot of criticism for Naqvi with BCCI even asking for his impeachment as the ACC chief.
Yousuf, who himself got into a lot of trouble for calling Suryakumar a ‘pig’ on live television, said that India should have taken the trophy from Naqvi during the official presentation ceremony.
“What Chairman Sir (Mohsin Naqvi) is doing is absolutely right. He has taken the correct stand. India should have taken the trophy at that moment. According to ACC and ICC rules, he was standing there as ACC chief, and the trophy should have been handed through his hands only,” Yousuf said on Samaa TV.
Yousuf went on to accuse India of being stuck in their ‘filmy world’ when it comes to the entire controversy.
“You didn’t take it at that moment, so what’s the hurry now? You should have gone and collected it from his office if you remembered that you had to take the trophy. At the ground, you were busy making your films. I said it that day too—they are not coming out of the filmy world. This is sports, this is cricket; movies won’t be playing here. In movies, there are retakes and all, but becoming a hero in movies is a different thing. You are playing a genuine sport here, and now you are saying you want the trophy.”