Mohsin Naqvi, president of the Asian Cricket Council and chairperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board, will present the trophy following the final of the Asia Cup 2025. India will face Pakistan in the continental championship final on Sunday, September 28.
With the recent handshake issue gaining attention, it will be fascinating to know what the Indian cricket team’s stance will be. Nothing tangible has come out as of yet. For the uninitiated, as the head of the administrative body (ACC), he will be well within his rights to attend the presentation ceremony, engage in traditional handshakes, and hand out the trophy.
According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) present stance, it appears doubtful that Indian players will interact with Mohsin Naqvi.
Following the recent terror incidents in Pahalgam, Naqvi has taken a vocal anti-India attitude. Meanwhile, the BCCI has not issued any instructions. However, it is still possible that certain instructions will be issued to the team.
“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,” a tournament insider was quoted as saying by India Today.
For the unversed, Mohsin Naqvi had previously lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) on behalf of the PCB against match referee Andy Pycroft for prohibiting the exchange of pleasantries at the toss and after the conclusion of India’s clash with Pakistan in the group stage.
After plenty of back and forth, including two separate letters raising the demand to remove Pycroft from the tournament, the ICC categorically denied the Pakistan board’s request, noting that Pycroft did not commit any wrongdoing and instead save both the captains from an embarrassing situation.
Meanwhile, India will aim to trump their arch-rivals for the third time in a row on Sunday. They have won their duels against Pakistan at the same venue twice so far, beating them by seven wickets in the group-stage game and by six wickets in the Super Fours.
India
