Not much has changed regarding the Indian team‘s stance on Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council. On Sunday, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side won the Women’s Asia Cup but refused to accept the trophy after Naqvi made himself present at the presentation dias. The scenes were the same as last year, when the men’s team also refused to take the silverware from Naqvi, who is the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Interior Minister.
After India won the summit clash at the Dubai International Stadium, the presentation ceremony was delayed by 40 to 45 minutes. When it began, the Indian team was nowhere to be seen, and only the runners-up’s cheque was presented by the ACC chairman to the Sri Lanka captain.
Once Chamari Athapaththu spoke to the broadcasters, the ceremony concluded, and India did not receive the trophy for the second consecutive year. A day after the incident, former India pacer Madan Lal, who was also a part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, said that if the same precedent is to be followed by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), then India should stop playing against Pakistan across all competitions.
“Once again same old story. If we are going to behave like this, then we should not play Pakistan any trophies. I know its Board decision,” Lal wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
What happened in the final?
The final between India and Sri Lanka got underway with Harmanpreet Kaur winning the toss and opting to bat. India posted 183/5 in 20 overs after Smriti Mandhana and Shafai Verma played knocks of 59 and 68. For the majority of the contest, Naqvi was nowhere to be seen inside the venue, but as soon as the match was about to get over, the ACC supremo was seen seated behind BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla.
After India secured a 72-run win, the customary handshakes followed between the players from both teams, and the broadcasters interviewed several Indian players, including Harmanpreet Kaur.
When the ceremony was delayed, the BCCI officials were seen handing over the fielding medal to Nandni Sharma, and the presentation ceremony followed. The stage did not have anyone from the Indian camp, as Saikia and Shukla chose to stay out of the limelight.
As of now, it’s unclear when India will get the trophy. It is worth noting that the men’s team are also yet to get their silverware after refusing to accept the trophy from Naqvi last year at the same venue.
