A tense, months-long standoff between the BCCI and the PCB over the Asia Cup trophy has finally shown signs of thawing. After a series of meetings in Dubai during recent ICC gatherings, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated that meaningful dialogue with PCB chairman and ACC president Mohsin Naqvi has resumed — and, for the first time, offers real hope of a diplomatic solution.
Saikia confirmed that ICC officials facilitated an informal yet crucial meeting between him and Naqvi on the sidelines of both the formal ICC board session and a subsequent informal gathering. While the Asia Cup trophy dispute wasn’t an official agenda item, both administrators took the opportunity to sit down privately and address the deadlock. According to Saikia, the tone was markedly different from previous interactions, with both parties engaging openly rather than defensively.
He described the Dubai exchange as the “first genuinely constructive conversation” between the two boards since tensions erupted. The phrase he kept returning to — “the ice has been broken” — signalled that the relationship, once frozen in mutual frustration, has shifted into a phase where negotiation is finally possible. Saikia indicated that several possible solutions are now being drafted and that both boards are studying options to resolve the controversy without further escalation.
He also stressed that rumours about a formal ICC dispute-resolution committee were inaccurate. Instead, an ICC representative is functioning as an intermediary, primarily to ensure continued dialogue. Both the BCCI and PCB believe the issue should be solved directly between the two boards, with the ICC playing a background role rather than dictating terms.
The Asia Cup trophy dispute itself stems from the aftermath of the final in Dubai, where India defeated Pakistan but declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who also occupies a senior political position in Pakistan. Saikia publicly criticised Naqvi’s behaviour at the time, accusing him of handling the presentation in an unprofessional manner and calling the episode “unsportsmanlike.” Naqvi, however, maintained that as ACC president he was the rightful presenter — a stance that hardened into a months-long impasse.
What has changed now, according to Saikia, is the willingness on both sides to step away from public posturing and focus on practical solutions. He admitted that frustrations had run high and that both boards had allowed the disagreement to linger longer than it should have. The Dubai meeting, he said, served as a reset — the first time either side was willing to see past the political noise.
Saikia cautioned that while progress has been made, patience is still needed. Multiple proposals must be evaluated, and both boards will have to agree on a path forward that maintains dignity while preventing another diplomatic flare-up. Still, he sounded more optimistic than at any point in recent months, saying a mutually acceptable resolution is achievable “in the coming days.”
For now, the shift in tone is unmistakable. After weeks of hostility, both the BCCI and PCB appear ready to put the trophy dispute behind them — provided the fragile momentum created in Dubai holds.
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