BCCI may raise Asia Cup Trophy issue at ICC meeting on November 4
Mumbai (PTI): The BCCI is hopeful that the Asia Cup winners Trophy will reach its headquarters in Mumbai "within a day or two" but if the impasse continues, the Indian Board will take the matter to the ICC on November 4.
India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Dubai to win the Asia Cup, but declined to accept the trophy from Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as ACC and PCB chairman.
This was after India skipper Suryakymar Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistan counterpart due to the conflict between the two nations.
Naqvi has already conveyed that the trophy can be handed over to India but it will be presented by him.
More than a month after the triumph, the BCCI still awaits the official handover of the silverware.
"Yes, we are a little bit unhappy with the way the trophy has not been being given to us even after a month," BCCI joint secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI Video in an exclusive interaction.
"We are pursuing this matter, about 10 days ago also we wrote a letter to the chairman of ACC, but there is no change in their stand.
"They are still keeping the trophy under their custody but we hope that the trophy will reach us in a day or two at the BCCI office in Mumbai."
Saikia said if the trophy is not handed over soon, the BCCI will raise the issue at the upcoming ICC quarterly meeting in Dubai from November 4.
The Trophy presentation in Dubai had been delayed by over an hour before the silverware was taken off the field without explanation, leaving the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side celebrating their triumph without the trophy in a first of its kind on a cricket field.
While the BCCI has officially requested its return, Naqvi has reportedly remained firm, suggesting that Indian players collect it in person at a future event as there has been no formal resolution yet.
"On behalf of BCCI we are fully prepared how to deal with the matter and I can assure the people of India that the trophy will come back to India, only the timeline is not fixed. One day it will come," Saikia said.
"We have won all matches against Pakistan and won the trophy. We have won the championship. Everything is on record. Only the trophy is missing. I hope good sense will prevail.
Tea before lunch likely in Guwahati Test
In a first for Test cricket, the second match of the upcoming two-Test series between India and South Africa to be held in Guwahati next month could see a reversal of the traditional order of sessions, with tea likely to be served before lunch.
Saikia confirmed that discussions were on regarding a possible adjustment in playing hours owing to Guwahati’s early sunrise and sunset.
"The process is going on because eastern part of the country have earlier sunrise and earlier sunset, so to accommodate and to have the timeline of playing six hours in a day, there has to be some changes with the timing.
"But if the match starting time is brought little bit earlier than when the actual lunch time, it may not be lunch time.
"So there may be some swapping of the sessions. I don't think that will be a big issue but the process is on, and it is yet to be finalised," he said.
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
