The trophy scenario - Women's Asia Cup and BCCI's Naqvi problem

New Delhi: A potentially awkward presentation scenario is brewing for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the Women’s Asia Cup prepares to kick off in Dubai from August 28 to September 13. The dilemma hinges on whether Mohsin Naqvi, in his capacity as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, will be on the podium to do the honors if India goes all the way to win the title.

Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Pakistan's Interior Minister, was at the center of a major geopolitical standoff during the men's continental tournament last year. The Indian men's team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi following the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military escalation between the two nations. That incident concluded with Naqvi walking away with the trophy, which remains uncollected at the ACC office after he insisted India must retrieve the silverware from him directly.

While recent diplomatic ice was broken when BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met with Naqvi on the sidelines of an ICC meeting, the underlying trophy standoff remains unresolved.

India and Pakistan are placed in the same group for the upcoming tournament, with their marquee league-stage clash scheduled for September 5. However, unlike the men’s format, the women’s schedule offers no possibility of intermediate knockout encounters; the two arch-rivals can only meet a second time if both qualify for the summit clash.

Should Harmanpreet Kaur’s side reach the final and emerge victorious, the question remains whether they will follow the precedent set by the men's team and decline the trophy.

The BCCI maintains a firm "no exchange of pleasantries" stance regarding Pakistan, but is taking a wait-and-see approach on the presentation ceremony. One potential resolution to avoid a repeat of last year's controversy would be for the ACC to designate another official to hand over the silverware, sparing both sides another public standoff. (PTI)