Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief and also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, is set to be honoured by his country’s government for his stance against India during the Asia Cup 2025, NDTV sources have confirmed. While Naqvi’s actions following the conclusion of the Asia Cup final in Dubai drew widespread criticism, the same is now set to see him being honoured in Pakistan. A formal award ceremony is reportedly being planned in Karachi, where Naqvi will be honoured with the gold medal. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also been invited to attend as the chief guest. The date of the event has not been finalised yet.
Naqvi decided to take the Asia Cup trophy, along with the winners’ medals, to his hotel room after Team India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, refused to accept them from him. The trophy and the medals have since been handed over to the UAE cricket board, but there is no update on when and how they will be delivered to India.
While the cricketing fraternity has condemned Naqvi’s actions, he is set to receive the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal for taking such a stand against India in the Asia Cup. A formal award ceremony is reportedly being planned in Karachi where Naqvi will be honoured with the gold medal. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also been invited to attend as the chief guest. The date of the event has not been finalised yet.
As per a report in the Pakistani media outlet, The Nation, Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, President of the Sindh and Karachi Basketball Associations, made the announcement about Naqvi being honoured. Jamal even said that Naqvi’s actions had “restored national pride” at a time when political and sporting tensions with India were at an all-time high.
As the Indian team continues to wait for the trophy and the medals, NDTV has also learned that the Asian Cricket Council has expressed regret over the entire trophy fiasco, even though Naqvi remains unapologetic.
Taking to social media, Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, said that he had never apologised to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), nor will he ever. “I did nothing wrong, and I did not-and will not-apologise to the BCCI,” Naqvi posted on X.
He has even asked the Indian team to visit the ACC office in Dubai to personally collect the trophy.