Pakistan cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi’s brief but intriguing reply on his team boycotting press conferences hints that the final chapter of the Asia Cup saga is yet to be written.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi refused to entertain media questions as the Men in Green
continue to boycott press conferences in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. After cancelling the press conference on the eve of their Asia Cup Group A clash against hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan opted for the same action on Saturday, on the eve of the Super 4 match against India.
Either a Pakistan player or support staff member was scheduled to attend the pre-match press conference at 6 pm local time (7.30 pm IST) on Saturday before training. But while the team turned up for training, they refused to hold the press conference. The cancellation of press conferences by Pakistan is seen as a protest against the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to continue with match referee Andy Pycroft despite PCB’s complaint against the Zimbabwean.
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PCB had demanded action against Pycroft and his removal after he reportedly asked India and Pakistan captains not to shake hands during the toss last Sunday. PCB also threatened to boycott the UAE match if action was not taken. However, they played the game after an hour’s delay.
While PCB claimed that they played the match after Pycroft apologised to the Pakistan team, the ICC sources have said that the former cricketer
only apologised for a miscommunication that was caused by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials.
On Saturday, Naqvi was seen at the ICC Academy in Dubai in a show of strength before Pakistan face off against India. While leaving the venue, the PCB head was asked why the Pakistan team had been avoiding press conferences.
Naqvi refused to answer the questions; however, upon being asked repeatedly, he replied: “…we’ll talk soon.”
#WATCH | Dubai, UAE | On being asked why the Pakistan team is not holding a press conference, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi says, “… We’ll talk soon.” pic.twitter.com/ikqwlzZbfT
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2025
This only indicates PCB may be planning to hold another press conference to present their side of the story as they face increasing pressure from the fans back home in the wake of the handshake controversy and their standoff with ICC.
It can also mean that Pakistan are planning more protests during the Asia Cup match against India to register their angst.
Now all eyes will be on the Sunday game in which we expect Indian players to continue with their no-handshake policy, while their Pakistani counterparts may do something similar to placate their fans.