When a decades-long regional rivalry spills onto the cricket field, the spectacle is always rich with symbolism. The three Asia Cup encounters between India and Pakistan, following close on the heels of an almost war-like situation in May, were exactly that. From war-like celebrations by players to symbolic boycott of routine sporting gestures, the cricket matches did not just make for great drama but also captured the tense sentiment underpinning a rivalry that goes way beyond cricket.

However, the ugliness between the arch-rivals hit a crescendo late Sunday when the Indian players refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi. Naqvi, on his part, walked off with the trophy during a delayed post-match presenta

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