New Delhi: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and heads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), will be present when India face Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on Sunday. His attendance at the post-final presentation ceremony has stirred curiosity over how the Indian team will respond.
As the chief of the continental body, Naqvi is mandated to attend and will have the right to present the trophy, which traditionally involves a customary handshake with both squads.
However, with the Indian team maintaining a ‘No Handshake’ policy with Pakistan, it is unlikely that the BCCI will allow players to engage with Naqvi, given his public anti-India stance. The board has yet to issue a public statement on the matter.
Earlier controversies also add fuel to the situation. On Naqvi’s insistence, the PCB accused match referee Andy Pycroft of prohibiting post-match pleasantries after the September 14 clash — a charge dismissed by the ICC. Naqvi also pushed for a ban on Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, alleging a Level 4 offence for dedicating a victory to India’s Armed Forces and expressing solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
A tournament insider told PTI, “As of now, information is that he would come this evening and obviously as ACC chairman, he will be giving away the winner’s trophy. Let’s see what the BCCI decides.”
Adding to tensions, Naqvi recently posted cryptic videos on X, including a Cristiano Ronaldo celebration depicting a plane crash — the same gesture Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf controversially used during the September 21 game against India, which led to him being fined.
The BCCI’s response to Naqvi’s presence at the final could determine whether the trophy ceremony passes off smoothly or sparks a fresh row in Indo-Pak cricket relations.
Asia Cup Final: ACC Chief Mohsin Naqvi’s Presence At Trophy Ceremony Puts BCCI In A Dilemma
