Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), won’t be attending the Asian Games men’s cricket gold medal match between India and Pakistan, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed on Friday afternoon. Ever since both arch-rivals made their entry into the summit clash, a sense of dread has prevailed about the potential presence of Naqvi and whether the similar scenes from the Men’s and Women’s Asia Cup would be repeated.
“ACC President, Mr Mohsin Naqvi, will miss Finals Day at #AsianGames2026 due to prior commitments, but sends his very best wishes to all four teams ahead of the Gold and Bronze Medal Matches,” the ACC wrote on social media.
In his official statement, Naqvi confirmed that he won’t be able to attend the medal matches in person due to his prior commitments. “Wishing all participants the very best ahead of the gold medal and bronze medal matches at the Asian Games 2026. Commitments will keep me away from Nagoya, but I’ll be looking forward to some thrilling action,” Naqvi said in his official statement.
On Saturday, the bronze-medal match will be played between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, followed by the match between India and Pakistan.
Ever since last year’s Men’s Asia Cup, plenty of bad blood has been evident between Indian and Pakistani players. There have been no handshakes on offer, and the status quo has been maintained till now. Last year’s tournament was played in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Last year, the Men’s Asia Cup refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister. The same scenes were repeated earlier this year when the women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, did the same and walked away with no silverware, with Naqvi present on the dais.
What happened in the Women’s Asia Cup?
The Women’s T20 Asia Cup was won by India after defeating Sri Lanka in the final. The presentation ceremony was delayed by close to 50 minutes. Naqvi was absent from the final for the majority of the contest but made his presence felt in the final over of the game.
He was once again adamant in wanting to give the trophy, and the drama intensified as two BCCI officials – secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla were also present at the Dubai International Stadium.
The proceedings came to an end with Naqvi handing the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka; however, the Indian team didn’t even take the field. Saikia and Shukla presented Nandni Sharma with the fielding medal, and the ceremony ended with the broadcaster chatting with Chamari Athapaththu.
The broadcaster had already spoken to Harmanpreet; however, the final was once again marred by the drama in the backdrop involving Naqvi.
