India-Pakistan encounters have been one-sided in recent years, but the drama that they bring upstages everything else. On Sunday, in the women’s Asia Cup final, it wasn’t Pakistan that the Indians lined up to play — it was defending champions Sri Lanka — but at the end of the day, the tense India-Pakistan relations took over the contest after Harmanpreet Kaur’s bunch refused to take the winners’ trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi.
Ever since the short war between the two countries in May last year, things have been pretty bad between them on the political level. It’s been so bad that it has affected the sporting arena, too. Last year, after winning the men’s Asia Cup, Suryakumar Yadav and his men also refused to take the winners’ trophy from Naqvi on account of his also being a political person from an enemy country, often trying to hurt India through terrorism, like last year in April, when many innocent tourists were killed in Pahalgam, which eventually led to the short war a couple of weeks later.
Anyway, what happened on Sunday night at the Dubai International Stadium in the UAE was that India thumped Sri Lanka in the final by 72 runs to claim their 8th Asia Cup title. Following the match, the trophy presentation was delayed by 50-odd minutes. Because the Indian team was not ready to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who was present there as ACC president. Harmanpreet’s bunch was only following a direction from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has prohibited its players from shaking hands with Pakistani players as well as refusing trophies from anyone who is politically motivated from that country. Naqvi’s position is a little unique. He is also Pakistan’s interior minister and lets go of no opportunity to make anti-India statements. This political role of his is particularly the reason why the BCCI has a hostile attitude towards him.
‘BCCI makes its stand pretty clear’
“Our military conflict is still ongoing. One of the main leaders who is working against the interests of our country, we can’t receive the trophy from him. The Women’s team has expressed solidarity with the decision taken by the men’s team last year. It doesn’t diminish the performances of our team. We have won all our matches in a one-sided manner,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained the board’s stance.
Anyway, the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from him. Naqvi, immune to embarrassment now — last year the same thing had happened, and he could have taken a backseat this time around — handed out the runners-up check to the Sri Lankan team. The ceremony ended right there, and he walked out of the ground amidst boos from Indian fans in the stands. The Indian team celebrated their victory among themselves just like the men’s team did last year. Amid the controversy, let’s not forget how beautifully Shafali Verma (68) and Smriti Mandhana (59) batted and orchestrated a dominating win over the Sri Lankan team who, chasing 183 to win, folded for 111.
