Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has questioned Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi over holding multiple political and administrative responsibilities. The comments follow India’s Women’s Asia Cup final victory against Sri Lanka, where team members again avoided receiving the trophy from Naqvi.
India secured their record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title with a 72-run win over Sri Lanka in Dubai. However, the trophy presentation was delayed after Indian players declined to collect the silverware from Naqvi, who serves as PCB chairman, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, and Asian Cricket Council president.
The incident repeated similar scenes from the men’s Asia Cup final, drawing attention to Naqvi’s overlapping positions. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Kaif stressed that governing a national board requires single-minded focus.
Kaif noted: “Are they living in the past? Don’t they have a reality check? Mohsin Naqvi is in politics. He is the boss of the board. It’s not like that,”
He expanded on the workload demands, stating: “If you are in cricket, then you have to be in cricket. You have to go to two places. It’s a difficult job. You won’t be able to give time. You have so many political commitments. You have to run the cricket board. You have to see what’s going on inside. You have to stop at one place and invest time. If you look at any body, if you compare it with the BCCI, or look at it from the outside, nobody does two things.”
Kaif emphasized the need for clear boundaries between governance and politics. “Either you are a politician, or you are a cricketer. You have to balance it. You have to focus on one thing,” he said.
Despite these administrative hurdles, Kaif maintained that Pakistan possesses sufficient cricketing talent. “Players aren’t bad. You need people who make players. There is a lot of talent in Pakistan,” he added, insisting that player development depends on strong structural backing.
Managing cross-border diplomatic sensitivities while directing domestic cricket administration remains a persistent challenge for the ACC leadership.
