Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi posted a cryptic social media message, sparking significant controversy just before the Asia Cup final. This follows an ICC fine imposed on India’s Suryakumar Yadav and a penalty for Pakistan’s Haris Rauf. Naqvi’s offer to personally cover Rauf’s fine, coupled with sharing a Cristiano Ronaldo video that mirrored Rauf’s contentious gesture, has ensured that off-field issues are now dominating the narrative leading up to the final match.
Just a day before the much-anticipated Asia Cup final between cricket giants India and Pakistan, PCB chairman and Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi amplified tensions with a puzzling social media post.
On Friday, Naqvi wrote: “How much time do you need to explain the reasons behind the balancing act?” This statement has immediately ignited widespread speculation regarding its target and timing, adding another layer to the already fraught relationship between the two cricketing nations.
This cryptic remark comes against a backdrop of intensifying friction between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the PCB.
Earlier this week, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav was summoned for an ICC hearing after Pakistan formally lodged a complaint over his comments, which reportedly paid tribute to the Indian armed forces and victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Despite Suryakumar pleading not guilty, ICC match referee Richie Richardson ruled that the statement constituted a breach of the code of conduct. Consequently, the Indian skipper was fined 30 percent of his match fee.
Meanwhile, the BCCI filed its own complaint against Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their provocative gestures during a crucial Asia Cup Super 4 clash. Rauf was observed miming the downing of an aircraft, while Farhan celebrated his fifty with a mock gun-firing motion. Both actions drew widespread backlash for exceeding the bounds of sportsmanlike conduct on the field.
In response, the ICC penalized Rauf with a 30 percent deduction from his match fee, and Farhan received an official warning. Adding a surprising twist to the situation, Naqvi, as reported by Pakistani media outlets, has offered to personally pay Rauf’s fine, further drawing attention to the controversy.
Adding fuel to the fire, Naqvi also shared a slow-motion Cristiano Ronaldo video on X (formerly Twitter), depicting the footballer performing a crashing motion. The striking resemblance between this clip and Rauf’s controversial gesture has raised questions about whether the PCB chief was implicitly endorsing his player’s actions.
With both cricket boards embroiled in a series of complaints and players facing sanctions, the build-up to the Asia Cup final has been largely overshadowed by these contentious off-field events. The ICC continues to emphasize that political gestures have no place in cricket, but the escalating tensions between these long-standing rivals appear to be blurring the lines of acceptable conduct and creating a charged atmosphere for the final showdown.