Controversy over ‘fake’ World Cup trophy

The ICC, the cricket’s governing body, has denied that the World Cup trophy was fake [GALLO/GETTY]

India won a real World Cup but a fake trophy; that’s the report doing the rounds among the Indian media.

A day after the Cricket World Cup final, which India won after beating Sri Lanka, New Delhi-based newspaper Mail Today reported that the winning trophy was fake and that the real one was lying with the Mumbai customs officials.

“The trophy that captain Dhoni and his teammates so passionately kissed, hugged and adored – and millions of fans worldwide cheered – was a fake,” Mail Today wrote.

“A mere replica, not the original. This has never happened in the 36-year history of the Cricket World Cup.”

But the story was swiftly denied by the International Cricket Council [ICC], the cricket’s governing body.

“Contrary to some erroneous and mischievous media reports, the ICC can confirm that the trophy presented to India at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday was the original ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 trophy and the one that was always intended to be presented to the winner of the event,” ICC said in a statement.

It said, “The trophy seized by Mumbai customs is the promotional, perpetual trophy which remains in the keeping of ICC at its headquarters in Dubai.”

There’s a public uproar over the issue and angry cricket fans even burnt the effigy of Sharad Pawar, the ICC president and a federal minister.

Current and former players have shown their disappointment over the issue.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC’s CEO told the Times of India, “It is very disappointing that media reports do not represent the fact. India got the trophy which was intended to be delivered to them.”

Despite denials and explanations by the ICC, the Delhi-based paper again carried a story in its Tuesday edition reiterating that the trophy was indeed fake.

The Mail wrote: “The trophy presented to Australia, the World Cup winners in 1999, 2003 and 2007, was the original one with the names of all the winning nations embossed on the base. By contrast, the replica handed to Dhoni’s conquering team, had a blank base. Lorgat did not explain this difference.”