The President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Mohsin Naqvi, will not be attending the gold medal match between India and Pakistan scheduled for this Saturday in Nisshin, Japan.

In an official statement, the ACC announced, “Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, the ACC President, will be unable to participate in Finals Day at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. However, he extends his best wishes to all four competing teams ahead of the Gold and Bronze Medal matches.”

Naqvi expressed his sentiments, stating, “I wish all the participants the very best as they approach the Gold and Bronze Medal matches at the Asian Games 2026. Although prior commitments will prevent me from being in Nagoya, I am eager to witness some exciting matches.”

The Bronze medal match will feature Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh.

In recent ACC events, Indian teams have declined to accept trophies from Naqvi following victories in the finals. A notable instance occurred during the Women’s Asia Cup in September, where the Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, opted out of the trophy presentation.

Amol Muzumdar, the head coach of the Indian team, reaffirmed their support for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s decision to not accept the trophy from Naqvi, declaring the tournament concluded for them after being named champions. “That position has been taken by the BCCI, and we support it. For us, this tournament is finished. We are the champions, and that is sufficient. It was clearly stated that India is the champion of the Asia Cup 2026. This tournament is officially over for us, and we are pleased with our victory. Now, we look forward to the Asian Games,” Muzumdar remarked during the post-match press briefing.

A source informed The Indian Express that the BCCI had warned ACC officials that if Naqvi attended the presentation and India emerged victorious, the team would refuse to accept the trophy from him.

Additionally, in September 2025, the Indian men’s cricket team also declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi after defeating Pakistan at the same venue, resulting in a presentation ceremony that lasted over an hour post-match.

Naqvi serves as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and tensions between the PCB and the BCCI have escalated since the Pahlagam attacks.

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