This is not just about cricket, it’s about dignity, sovereignty, and refusing to bow under pressure,’ say the organizers of the award.”
Despite ongoing debates and criticism surrounding the Asia Cup trophy controversy, Mohsin Naqvi is being celebrated almost like a national hero in Pakistan. He is set to receive the ‘Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal’ in recognition of what has been described as his “moral and courageous” stance. The honor will be bestowed upon him as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, and as head of both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
According to Pakistan’s The Nation, the announcement was made by Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, president of the Sindh and Karachi Basketball Association. He stated that at a time of intense political and sporting tensions with India, Naqvi’s strong position has brought pride to Pakistan. In his words, Naqvi has elevated the nation’s dignity “beyond the boundaries of cricket.”
“This is not just about cricket. It’s about dignity, sovereignty, and refusing to bow under pressure.”
The gold medal will be awarded at a grand ceremony in Karachi. A special committee has already been formed, led by Sindh Basketball Association president Khalid Jamil Shamsi, with Karachi Commissioner’s Director of Sports Ghulam Muhammad Khan serving as secretary.
The chief guest at the event will be Pakistan People’s Party leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and the final date of the ceremony will be confirmed according to his availability.
Naqvi had already been at the center of heated debates during the Asia Cup. The PCB lodged complaints with the ICC against match referee Andy Pycroft for failing to act when Pakistani players refused to shake hands with Indian players. They also filed a complaint against Suryakumar Yadav, which led to a fine for the Indian captain.
The biggest controversy erupted after the final. The Indian team insisted they would not receive the trophy and medals from Naqvi. The disagreement delayed the presentation ceremony for a long time, and in the end, India were not given the trophy or medals. India later alleged that Naqvi had taken the trophy and medals away with him.
In response, the Indian players staged a symbolic celebration — holding and posing with an “imaginary” trophy. At the press conference, Suryakumar Yadav remarked that it was the first time he had experienced such a situation where the winners were denied their trophy.
The BCCI later announced that it would raise concerns about the ACC president’s conduct at the ICC’s November meeting, demanding that the trophy and medals be formally handed over to India as soon as possible. Reports then surfaced in the media that Naqvi was willing to hand them over, but only if the Indian team attended an official ceremony at the ACC headquarters to receive them directly from him.
Through it all, Naqvi remained defiant, posting on social media: “I have done nothing wrong, I have not apologized to the Indian board, and I never will.”
