KEY POINTS
- PCB Chairman announced formal complaint to ICC over Indian players’ “provocative” conduct.
- Sarfaraz Ahmed accused India of “unethical conduct” despite Pakistan’s sportsmanlike victory.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will formally approach the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding what it terms “provocation” by Indian players during the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025 final, board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Monday.
The announcement came during a reception hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to honour Pakistan’s victorious Under-19 team, which clinched the title with a dominant 191-run win over India on Sunday at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
Speaking at the ceremony, Naqvi stated that Indian players had persistently provoked their Pakistani counterparts during the high-stakes final.
“Indian players kept provoking Pakistani players in the U19 Asia Cup final,” Naqvi said.
“Pakistan will inform the ICC about the incident.” He emphasised that politics should not interfere with sports, remarking, “Politics and sports should be kept separate.”
The chairman’s statement underscores the escalating off-field friction between the two cricketing nations, whose bilateral ties have remained frozen for years due to geopolitical strains.
India’s ‘Unethical Conduct’
Adding to the criticism, Pakistan U19 team mentor and former national captain Sarfaraz Ahmed accused the Indian side of unsporting behaviour.
“India’s behaviour regarding the game was not good, and the Indian team’s conduct in cricket was unethical,” Sarfaraz said.
He highlighted Pakistan’s response, noting, “We celebrated the victory with sportsmanship, because there should always be sportsmanship in cricket; what India did is their own action.”
Recent Context: A Pattern of Diplomatic Snubs
The latest controversy follows a series of perceived snubs by Indian players and officials during the senior Asia Cup 2025 held in September.
Notably, Indian vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to partake in customary post-match handshakes with Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha and players across all three encounters between the sides, including the final.
The gesture, or lack thereof, drew widespread criticism for undermining the spirit of cricket.
Furthermore, after India’s senior team defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, they reportedly refused to collect the trophy from ACC President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, an act reportedly carried out on instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
