PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi shares a puzzling message — “How much more time do you need?” — just before the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup final

Just a day before the high-voltage Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan, PCB chairman and ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi created a stir with a mysterious social media post.

On Friday, Naqvi wrote: “How much longer do you need to justify the balancing act?” — a statement that many believe was loaded, though its exact target remains unclear. The timing of the post has only fuelled speculation, coming amidst rising friction between the BCCI and PCB.

Earlier this week, India’s skipper Suryakumar Yadav faced an ICC disciplinary hearing after Pakistan complained about his remarks honouring the Indian armed forces and victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. While Suryakumar denied any wrongdoing, match referee Richie Richardson decided the comments violated the code of conduct and fined him 30% of his match fee.

In response, the BCCI also lodged complaints against Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan over their controversial on-field celebrations during the Super 4 clash. Rauf’s act mimicked the shooting down of an aircraft, while Farhan marked his fifty with a gunfire-like gesture.

The ICC sanctioned both players — docking Rauf 30% of his match fee and issuing Farhan an official warning. According to reports in Pakistani media, Naqvi even offered to cover Rauf’s fine himself, which only drew more attention.

To add to the drama, Naqvi later posted a slow-motion Cristiano Ronaldo video on X (formerly Twitter), where the footballer enacts a crashing motion. The resemblance to Rauf’s gesture was unmistakable, leading many to believe that the PCB chief was subtly backing his player’s actions.

With both cricket boards locked in a series of complaints and counter-complaints, the Asia Cup finale build-up has been dominated by controversies rather than cricket. The ICC has reiterated that political symbolism has no place in the sport, but the heated rivalry seems to have blurred the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.