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Mohsin Naqvi is reportedly set to attend the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai on September 13.
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The ACC president and PCB chairman is expected to present the trophy.
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India could face another trophy-presentation dilemma if they reach the final, after last year’s men’s Asia Cup controversy.
Mohsin Naqvi set to attend Women’s Asia Cup final
Mohsin Naqvi of Pakistan can clash with India once again at the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai where he is set to hand over the trophy to the winners of the competition.
As per the report from Geo Super, Naqvi, who is the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is going to head to Dubai for the final ceremony of the event on September 13.
The report says that Naqvi will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony and he will also present the Women’s T20 Asia Cup trophy to the winners.
“The ACC President will also present the prestigious Women’s T20 Asia Cup trophy to the winning side after the final,” the publication stated in its report, citing
There have been some questions already as to how will things go if India make it to the final.
India are one of the title contenders and they have already booked their spot in the semifinal after defeating Pakistan by seven wickets.
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Why another India-Naqvi trophy controversy could emerge
There is an obvious parallel with the Asia Cup men’s final in 2025.
India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final played last year but failed to win the winner’s trophy from Naqvi, who was also ACC president then. The awarding ceremony concluded without India getting the trophy.
The whole affair came after a tournament in which India-Pakistan tensions played a major part. The dual role of Naqvi as ACC president and PCB chairman had also been a major debate.
Since then, the trophy has been lying at ACC headquarters in Dubai despite BCCI’s efforts to solve the problem.
Now, with Naqvi scheduled to award the trophy to women’s team, the same thing may happen if Harmanpreet Kaur’s team wins the tournament.
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India already defeated Pakistan in Women’s Asia Cup
India secured their position in the knockout stage of the tournament following a strong performance against Pakistan in a Group A match played on September 5.
The Indian team bowled out Pakistan for just 55 runs, Pakistan’s lowest score ever in women’s T20Is, and won the match by seven wickets in just 8.4 overs. Three wickets each were taken by Shree Charani and Prema Rawat of India in the match.
India managed to collect six points and led Group A by securing a net run rate of 5.471.
The other team that has qualified for the semi-final round is Sri Lanka, thanks to their 4-wicket win over Bangladesh on September 6.
However, it must be noted that Pakistan comparatively have a game in hand when they face Hong Kong on September 7, which keeps their semis hopes – and that of another India vs Pakistan final – alive.
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India-Naqvi controversy risks overshadowing Women’s Asia Cup final
Last year’s issue that cropped up at the men’s Asia Cup has made a show of the trophy presentation ceremony, as well as the trophy itself, unnecessary. Bringing this kind of issue into women’s cricket tournaments will detract from the winners’ celebrations.
Ideally, the ACC would ensure that the presentation of the trophy is conducted without involving the players in any controversy. However, in case India wins the Women’s Asia Cup, all that needs to be talked about will be the victory and not about how the trophy is presented.
In any case, the first thing that India has to worry about is reaching the finals. And if they manage to do that, then Naqvi, being the chief guest, could bring the controversy back into the picture.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
