India lets politics overshadow Asia Cup truimph

[ghazi52]

India lets politics overshadow Asia Cup truimph​

ACC sources said from Dubai that the trophy presentation protocol had been agreed in advance

Alam Zeb Safi
September 14, 2026

All captains posing with the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 trophy. Photo: ACC

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KARACHI: India’s women declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi after beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai on Sunday, in the latest episode to strain cricketing ties between India and Pakistan.

India sealed the title with a commanding victory but did not come out of their dressing room to collect the trophy from Naqvi, who had travelled to Dubai to attend the presentation ceremony in his capacity as ACC president. Naqvi is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan’s interior minister.

ACC sources said from Dubai that the trophy presentation protocol had been agreed in advance and that the trophy was available to be presented to the winners. They added the Indian team itself decided not to receive it from Naqvi.

“Our position has not changed,” one source said. Naqvi had not moved from his earlier position and remained in the same position on Sunday, the source added, referring to last year’s incident when India’s men’s team declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after winning the men’s tournament.

The incident comes amid already strained cricketing relations between the two neighbours, whose sporting ties have been affected by wider political tensions. The 2025 men’s tournament was also overshadowed by India’s no-handshake with Pakistan controversy. Later, India’s under-19 side also declined to receive medals from Naqvi after finishing runners-up in a tournament in Dubai, with the medals subsequently presented by an Afghanistan Cricket Board official.

Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry criticised India’s decision. “India is unable to digest its defeat on the military and diplomatic front and has dragged politics into sports,” Chaudhry said.

In the past India’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for the Champion’s Trophy, which Pakistan hosted, had been a bad precedent of India’s stance to drag politics into sports. The tournament was subsequently played under a hybrid arrangement, with India’s matches moved to a neutral venue.

Under the arrangement, India-Pakistan matches in ICC events are also scheduled to be played at neutral venues through 2027.

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

India Women Refuse Asia Cup Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi​

India’s women’s cricket team won the Women’s Asia Cup in convincing fashion, but the post-match presentation quickly became the talking point. After beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final, India did not collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has now explained the reason behind the decision. He said the women’s team stood by the position taken by India’s men’s team during last year’s Asia Cup.

Why India Did Not Take the Trophy​

According to Saikia, the decision was linked to the continuing tensions between India and Pakistan. He said the situation had changed significantly following the April 2025 Pahalgam incident.

Saikia explained that while India continues to play Pakistan in multinational competitions under government policy, that does not mean every condition surrounding those events has to be accepted.

He said the Indian team could not receive the trophy from Naqvi because of his political position and described the women’s team’s action as an expression of solidarity with the men’s side.

 

[Master Chief]

Saikia explained that while India continues to play Pakistan in multinational competitions under government policy, that does not mean every condition surrounding those events has to be accepted.

And here, buried deep within the reams of (entirely rightful) indignation at Hindustan's pathetic political theatre played out on a sports pitch, is the ACTUAL crux of the matter.

Pakistan had a chance to shaft these vermin a year ago by refusing to play against them, on well principled grounds of BCCI's constant facilitation of Indian political interference in the game of cricket, but Pakistan decided to bow to Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis and Ehsan Mani and goodness knows who else.

The opportunity to hit them hard by denying their marquee fixture and by extension, their entire purpose to even exist, was duly squandered for a paltry price.

It's fine writing pages and pages of complaining, but then when an opportunity arises to actually put pressure on the target of your complaint, why not seize it with both hands?

 

[samsite84]

And here, buried deep within the reams of (entirely rightful) indignation at Hindustan's pathetic political theatre played out on a sports pitch, is the ACTUAL crux of the matter.

Pakistan had a chance to shaft these vermin a year ago by refusing to play against them, on well principled grounds of BCCI's constant facilitation of Indian political interference in the game of cricket, but Pakistan decided to bow to Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis and Ehsan Mani and goodness knows who else.

The opportunity to hit them hard by denying their marquee fixture and by extension, their entire purpose to even exist, was duly squandered for a paltry price.

It's fine writing pages and pages of complaining, but then when an opportunity arises to actually put pressure on the target of your complaint, why not seize it with both hands?

Yup - you're right.

 

[Mighty_Dragon_Strike]

who cares!

who is Mohsin Naqvi, BTW?!!

has no public mandate and does not represent Pak. public opinion

he has single handedly destroyed cricket and is now, saying, never ending, constant humiliating losses under his leadership are equal to the losses suffered by the top 3!


M. Naqvi should resign and along with him, cricked board in Lahore should be dissolved.

thats it!


gets interesting, no body even on the internet and YT, have the balls to say, what I have just said!


total dissolution of the PCB, each province, should have a separate cricket board. Thats the only way, new talent can come in PAk., otherwise, there will only be Misbah and Saqlain to coach and people like Younis Khan and others, will have no future here!

sorry, spoken the truth!

 

[Master Chief]

Yup - you're right.

So I take it you are satisfied that politicians influence sport directly in India?

Saikia explained that while India continues to play Pakistan in multinational competitions under government policy, that does not mean every condition surrounding those events has to be accepted.

He said the Indian team could not receive the trophy from Naqvi because of his political position and described the women’s team’s action as an expression of solidarity with the men’s side.

I trust you, as an honest cricket fan, are cognisant of the ICC charter, despite your sportspersons making statements like these.

 

[Master Chief]

ICC Charter Article 2.4(D): each member board

"must at all times manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government (or other public or quasi-public body) interference in its governance, regulation and/or administration of Cricket".

 

[samsite84]

So I take it you are satisfied that politicians influence sport directly in India?



I trust you, as an honest cricket fan, are cognisant of the ICC charter, despite your sportspersons making statements like these.

View attachment 215512

View attachment 215513

LOL... What world do you live in - sports is directly impacted by politicians in India : yes, has been and will be, and its not just India and Pakistan.

Also, a little maturity will dictate looking at how Pakistan politicians impact the game e.g., selecting Mohsiq Naqvi as PCB chaiman only because he is BIL of Munira - guess only qualification required.

 

[PakistanLVR]

You know what, even there is 1% chance that it’s performative, I have to hand it to them, they’re doing it out of principles, unlike Pakistanis who lack the moral back-back to not play against them.

Who’s running Pakistans foreign policy? Is it the U.S.? Or the Saudis? Or is it the Chinese who linked their money and aid with Pakistanis bending over backwards to appease the Indians even after the May 2025 conflict.

not once I’ve heard or seen images of kids who were victim of the Indian murderous bombings year ago. It’s like the “Izzat” and “Jugaad” Hindians job stealers and petty criminals use is also at play in Pakistan. No moral fiber, no ethic, no honor. If you throw money at them, they will gladly sell their sisters and mothers, and they have Musharraf circa WoT selling women and children for dollars

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

who cares!

who is Mohsin Naqvi, BTW?!!

has no public mandate and does not represent Pak. public opinion

he has single handedly destroyed cricket and is now, saying, never ending, constant humiliating losses under his leadership are equal to the losses suffered by the top 3!


M. Naqvi should resign and along with him, cricked board in Lahore should be dissolved.

thats it!


gets interesting, no body even on the internet and YT, have the balls to say, what I have just said!


total dissolution of the PCB, each province, should have a separate cricket board. Thats the only way, new talent can come in PAk., otherwise, there will only be Misbah and Saqlain to coach and people like Younis Khan and others, will have no future here!

sorry, spoken the truth!

He is nobody but still have more powerful than current PM of Pakistan.

 

[Mighty_Dragon_Strike]

He is nobody but still have more powerful than current PM of Pakistan.

if Mr. Naqvi can be made cricket Chairman,

then,

Younis Khan, should be made Prime Minister!

Younis Khan, should shoot himself, bec, we have undiscovered a latent in management!

 

[El Sidd]

It's good that Pakistani officials didnt make a big deal out of the incident. Its probably due to some religious reasons like the Eifel tower rental agreement.

 

[TAC]

When you’ve had your butt handed to you on the battlefield by a country 1/7th your size and with a fraction of your military budget, been humiliated, what else can you do other than refuse trophies, hold IWT In abeyance and issue NOTAM’s. As if all this will somehow rescue & resurrect tattered dreams of Supapowa & being South Asia’s equivalent to Israel.
Idiots still not shown a shred of credible evidence that Pakistan instigated Palwama attack but quite happy to carry on with this tamasha regardless.

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

if Mr. Naqvi can be made cricket Chairman,

then,

Younis Khan, should be made Prime Minister!

Younis Khan, should shoot himself, bec, we have undiscovered a latent in management!

Well, Mr. Naqvi has not exactly shown much when it comes to improving the situation.

The bigger problem is when politics and politicians put their own interests above sports. Nothing good can come from that in the long run.

Pakistan has unfortunately had too much political involvement in sports, with political agendas often taking priority over the development of the sport itself. I still remember when Pakistan was doing very well in squash, but as politics and other interests became increasingly involved, the sport gradually declined. Jahangir Khan’s name is still remembered by many people today, but Pakistan’s dominance in squash is a very different story now.

Similar things happened with hockey, and now I feel cricket could be heading in the same direction. However, I still believe individual performers may keep Pakistan cricket alive to some extent, because cricket is deeply rooted and played across the country.

What happened in the UK is a classic example. The Imran Khan case suddenly received huge attention everywhere than the other political game created with so much controversy that discussions eventually shifted toward issues such as mobile phones, match-fixing allegations, enquiries, and other distractions. People have now almost forgotten what the original sporting discussion was about. The Pakistani team’s poor performance became secondary.

Even with the Asia Cup, I doubt many people will talk about the performance of the Pakistani women’s cricket team. Instead, most of the discussion will probably be dominated by the controversy surrounding the tournament.