NEW DELHI:
India women’s cricket team head coach Amol Muzumdar has backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s decision not to accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai on Sunday to win the Women’s Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time. However, the Indian players did not participate in the trophy presentation ceremony, with Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, scheduled to present the trophy.
Muzumdar said the decision was taken by the BCCI and that the team stood firmly behind it. He said the controversy would not take away from India’s achievement and stressed that the team was happy to be crowned champions.
“The stand has been taken by the BCCI. We stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions,” Muzumdar said, adding that the team would now turn its attention to the Asian Games.
According to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, the Indian board had offered alternatives for the trophy presentation, including having ACC deputy chairman Khalid Al Zarooni present the trophy or allowing a representative of the winning board to do so. However, the proposals were not accepted, resulting in the standoff.