Follow UsPakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has lashed out at India over what he described as “disappointing” behaviour during the Asia Cup 2025, accusing them of “disrespecting” the sport. India beat Pakistan three times in the tournament - including the final - but every clash was shadowed by controversy.
The drama began after the group-stage game, when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed an official complaint with the ICC, alleging that the Indian players breached the spirit of cricket by refusing post-match handshakes. The PCB also demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, claiming he had advised India captain Suryakumar Yadav to avoid shaking hands with his Pakistan counterpart at the toss.
Hostility escalated in the Super Fours encounter, where Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan were seen making provocative gestures at Indian fans. Haris and Shaheen Shah Afridi were also involved in multiple heated exchanges with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma.
The final brought more fuel to the fire. Once again, no handshakes took place, and after India won by five wickets in a thriller, the team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi - who also happens to be Pakistan’s Interior Minister and PCB chairman.
“What India have done this tournament is very disappointing. They're not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they're disrespecting cricket. Good teams don't do what they did today. We went to pose with the trophy on our own because we wanted to fulfill our obligations. We stood there and took our medals. I don't want to use harsh words but they've been very disrespectful,” said Pakistan skipper Agha.
“This is the first time I've ever seen this happen. Whatever happened in this tournament was very bad, and I hope it stops at some stage because it's bad for cricket. Everything that happened today was a consequence of all that happened (before). Of course the ACC president will give the trophy to the winners. If you won't take the trophy from him, how will you get it?
“I'm not just a Pakistan captain, I'm a cricket fan. If a kid's watching in India or Pakistan, we're not sending them a good message. People think of us as role models, but if we're behaving like this, we're not inspiring them. What happened shouldn't have happened, but you should ask the people (India) responsible for this rather than me.”
Agha also revealed that Suryakumar had no personal issue with him and even shook hands with him privately. “He shook hands with me in private at the start of the tournament. Both at the pre-tournament press conference, and when we met in the referee's meeting. But when they're out in the world in front of the cameras, they don't shake our hands. I'm sure he's following the instructions he's been given, but if it was up to him, he'd shake hands with me.”
On the field, Pakistan got off to a strong start after being put in to bat, cruising to 113/1 in 12.4 overs. But a stunning collapse saw them lose nine wickets for just 33 runs, folding for 146 in 19.1 overs. India’s chase began in disastrous fashion, with Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar back in the hut with only 20 on the board. But Tilak Varma (69* off 53) anchored the innings superbly, with support from Sanju Samson (24 off 21) and Shivam Dube (33 off 22), guiding India home with two balls to spare.