Mohsin Naqvi, President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), will not be visiting Japan for the Asian Games. The confirmation comes ahead of the men’s gold-medal match, scheduled to be played between India and Pakistan at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Saturday.
“ACC president Mr Mohsin Naqvi will miss Finals Day at Aichi-Nagoya 2026,” the ACC said in a statement on Friday. “But he sends his very best wishes to all four teams ahead of the Gold and Bronze Medal matches.”
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are slated to meet in the bronze-medal play-off before the big finale.
“Wishing all participants the very best ahead of the Gold and Bronze Medal matches at the Asian Games 2026. Commitments will keep me away from Nagoya, but I will be looking forward to some thrilling action,” Naqvi, who’s also the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was quoted as saying in an ACC post.
As Cricbuzz reported on September 19, the recent Women’s Asian Cup controversy, after the Indian women team declined to take trophy from him, was not going to be repeated in Japan. Who presents the medals is a joint decision of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Asian Para Games Organizing Committee (AINAGOC), and the local organisers are unlikely to make a decision that could put the Indian camp in an awkward position.z
With India and Japan enjoying close diplomatic relations, the Japanese authorities were unlikely to allow a situation that could create complications for the Indian team. Besides, as part of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, India played Japan in a bilateral match on September 22 — an unprecedented occasion in world cricket, considering India are the world champions while Japan are an Associate nation ranked 41st.
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