India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 triumph in Dubai was followed by another awkward trophy presentation involving Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi. The Indian team once again declined to collect the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final on Sunday to clinch their record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. However, the post-match presentation was delayed amid the standoff, with Naqvi present at the venue while the Indian players chose not to receive the trophy from him.
The incident closely mirrored last year’s men’s Asia Cup final, when the Indian team also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi. The repeat has once again raised questions about his multiple responsibilities across cricket administration and politics.
Mohammad Kaif questions Naqvi’s dual responsibilities
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has questioned whether Naqvi can devote enough time to cricket administration while simultaneously handling his responsibilities as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
“Are they living in the past? Don’t they have a reality check? Mohsin Naqvi is in politics. He is the boss of the board. It’s not like that,” Kaif said on Cricbuzz.
Kaif pointed out that running a cricket board requires considerable time and attention, which could become difficult when combined with major political responsibilities.
“If you are in cricket, then you have to be in cricket. You have to go to two places. It’s a difficult job. You won’t be able to give time. You have so many political commitments. You have to run the cricket board. You have to see what’s going on inside. You have to stop at one place and invest time. If you look at any body, if you compare it with the BCCI, or look at it from the outside, nobody does two things.”
Naqvi currently holds several influential positions. Apart from serving as PCB chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister, he is also the ACC president. His involvement in India-Pakistan cricket events has therefore remained a sensitive subject.
Kaif questions Sooryavanshi’s Afghanistan omission
Kaif believes that leading a cricket board requires a high level of focus and suggested that it can be challenging to balance the role with another major responsibility.
“Either you are a politician, or you are a cricketer. You have to balance it. You have to focus on one thing,” he said.
The former India international also defended the talent available in Pakistan and argued that the country’s cricketing struggles cannot simply be blamed on a lack of quality players.
According to Kaif, Pakistan has plenty of natural talent but needs the right system and people to develop players into successful professionals.
“Players aren’t bad. You need people who make players. There is a lot of talent in Pakistan,” he added.
India’s Women’s Asia Cup triumph has consequently attracted attention beyond their emphatic 72-run victory over Sri Lanka. The trophy presentation once again became a talking point after the Indian team chose not to collect the silverware from Naqvi.
