Mohsin Naqvi
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final on Sunday to claim the title, but the post-match ceremony was held up amid the standoff. The latest controversy has ensured that India’s Women’s Asia Cup victory will be remembered for more than the 72-run win over Sri Lanka. India’s Women’s Asia Cup triumph in Dubai was overshadowed by another awkward trophy presentation involving Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, as the champions once again declined to collect the silverware from the Pakistan Cricket Board chief. Naqvi, who is also Pakistan ‘s Interior Minister, remained at the venue, but India’s players were unwilling to receive the trophy from him. The repeat has once again put the spotlight on his dual role as a senior cricket administrator and a prominent figure in Pakistan’s government. Instead of a routine trophy celebration, the final once again ended with an unresolved presentation involving Naqvi.
The episode was strikingly similar to last year’s men’s Asia Cup final, when India’s victorious team had also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi. With a similar situation having played out at the men’s Asia Cup final last year, questions over Naqvi’s role at the intersection of cricket administration and politics are likely to remain part of the conversation.