Mohammad Yousuf Opens Up on Mohsin Naqvi Amid Trophy Row

Mohammad Yousuf, a former Pakistan batter, has spoken out in support of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi amid the controversy surrounding the Women’s Asia Cup trophy presentation.

For the second year in a row, an Indian team won the continental event but did not get the trophy. India’s Harmanpreet Kaur led team defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup final, clinching their record-extending eighth trophy.

However, the Indian team elected not to attend the presentation event to receive the trophy from Naqvi, who also serves as the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The move came a year after the Indian men’s team declined to collect the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi. That decision came in response to tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror assault and Operation Sindoor.

The men’s tournament also included numerous heated moments, with Naqvi attracting criticism for several of his social media posts.

for the Women’s Asia Cup final, Naqvi remained mostly out of the spotlight before being sighted in the VIP box for the final over. The presentation ceremony was then delayed by about 45 to 50 minutes before proceeding without the Indian team getting the trophy.

Yousuf turned to social media on Tuesday, September 15, to defend Naqvi and criticize India’s decision.

He accused the Indian side of “arrogance” and argued that national pride had trumped humility.

What did the Indian camp say?

Following the incident, India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar stated that the squad adhered to the BCCI’s decision on the trophy presentation. A day later, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that the Indian camp had notified Naqvi well in advance that the players would not accept the trophy from him.

Saikia and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla both attended the Women’s Asia Cup final. Despite the controversy surrounding the presentation, India had a great performance on the field, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs and winning the trophy for the ninth time.

The presenting event was delayed by approximately 45 to 50 minutes. When it finally began, only the Sri Lankan players showed up to claim their runners-up medals. Naqvi handed up the runners-up cash to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu before the proceedings concluded following her radio interview.