Dubai: India’s Asia Cup triumph was overshadowed by a fresh trophy presentation controversy after the Indian team chose not to receive the title from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi.
Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, was present for the presentation ceremony following India’s commanding victory. However, the Indian players did not come forward to collect the trophy from him, reviving memories of the controversy surrounding last year’s men’s Asia Cup.
The episode has once again brought the strained India-Pakistan cricket relationship into focus, with sporting achievements being caught in the middle of wider diplomatic and political tensions.
The controversy, however, came after India had delivered a dominant performance on the field. India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final to lift the Women’s Asia Cup title, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma providing the platform for a big total through a 129-run opening partnership.
India posted 183 before restricting Sri Lanka to 111, completing a comprehensive victory and another major continental title.
The trophy episode has nevertheless become one of the biggest talking points of the tournament, particularly because it follows a similar incident involving India’s men’s team last year.
The BCCI has maintained a firm position on its interactions with Pakistani officials, while the latest episode indicates that the issue remains unresolved.
For India, the message on the field was clear: they were the best team in the tournament. Off the field, however, the Asia Cup once again found itself at the intersection of cricket, politics and diplomacy.
