World Cup Winner Madan Lal Slams PCB Chief Naqvi's "Ignorance" After Asia Cup Trophy Incident

Former India cricketer Madan Lal has slammed Mohsin Naqvi for his antics in the Asia Cup final. Speaking to India Today, the World Cup winner blasted the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and said that Naqvi had no knowledge or understanding of sport whatsoever.

Naqvi, who also acts as the Asian Cricket Council chief, has been heavily criticised by the cricketing world after he ran away with the Asia Cup trophy on Sunday, September 28. After India refused to collect the trophy and medals from Naqvi's hands, the ACC chief directed his officials to take the awards off the ground.

Madan Lal called the actions immature and said that only a person with zero knowledge of the sport would do something like this. He added that Naqvi had destroyed his and his country's reputation by playing silly games with India.

"All these things should not have happened. When players lift that trophy in front of the fans, or on live TV, that is when it looks good," Madan Lal told India Today in an interview.

"Mohsin Naqvi has no knowledge of the sport. How a sport should be played, how one should behave. There were so many people from the Indian team who were standing on the dais afterwards. He should have told someone else to give the trophy to the Indian team. The PCB chief has destroyed his and his country's reputation," he added.

He was not alone in criticising Naqvi. Former Pakistan player Shahid Afridi also slammed Naqvi for failing in his duties in the Asia Cup. Afridi urged Mohsin Naqvi to step down as PCB chairman, reiterating his stance that it was unrealistic to juggle the responsibilities of a leading cricket administrator while simultaneously serving as Pakistan's Interior Minister, stressing that the sport requires full attention during a period of crisis.

Madan Lal further questioned Naqvi's demand that India captain Suryakumar Yadav should come to Dubai to collect the trophy himself.

"Why should Suryakumar Yadav go to the Asian Cricket Council office to collect the trophy? India won, you should have let them celebrate with the trophy on the ground. But of course, he does not have any knowledge, in their country everything is decided by the armed forces," Madan Lal concluded.

India are expected to launch a formal complaint against the ACC chief at the next ICC meeting.