BCCI Faces Awkward Situation: Mohsin Naqvi Could Be On Stage If...
Women's Asia Cup is scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 13. India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group.
Women's Asia Cup in Dubai could bring an unusual situation for BCCI if India reach the final, with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi potentially involved in the trophy presentation, PTI reported.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and Pakistan's Interior Minister, could once again find himself at the centre of a presentation-related issue.
The controversy stems from last year's men's Asia Cup, when India's players chose not to receive the trophy from Naqvi following tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military conflict. Naqvi took the trophy away, and it has reportedly still not been handed over to the Indian team.
Women's Asia Cup Start Date
The Women's Asia Cup is scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 13. India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group, with their league-stage encounter scheduled for September 5.
However, unlike the men's tournament, the women's competition does not provide an opportunity for multiple India-Pakistan clashes before the final. Therefore, another meeting between the two sides would only be possible if both teams reach the title clash.
This could once again raise questions about the trophy presentation. If Harmanpreet Kaur's side wins the tournament and Naqvi is present on the presentation stage, it remains unclear whether the Indian team would accept the trophy from him or follow the precedent set by Suryakumar Yadav and the men's team last year.
One possible way to prevent controversy
BCCI has not publicly revealed how it would handle such a situation. The board is reportedly maintaining a wait-and-watch approach, while its position remains clear that there will be no exchange of pleasantries between the Indian and Pakistani teams.
One possible way to prevent another controversy would be for Naqvi to step aside from the trophy presentation and allow another ACC official to hand over the silverware to the champions.
Following last year's incident, Naqvi had said that India's players could collect the trophy from him at the ACC headquarters. The issue remained unresolved even after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met Naqvi on the sidelines of an ICC meeting. Saikia later said that the meeting had helped "break the ice" between the two sides, although the trophy dispute continued.
Naqvi subsequently reiterated that India would need to collect the trophy from him, keeping the matter alive long after the tournament had concluded.
For now, the presentation issue remains hypothetical and will only become relevant if India qualify for the final and win the title. However, if Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates lift the Women's Asia Cup trophy, who actually hands it over could become one of the tournament's biggest talking points.
Top Headlines
