KEY POINTS
- de Villiers criticised India for bringing politics into cricket during the Asia Cup trophy ceremony.
- The Indian team refused to receive the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi.
- The incident caused an hour-long delay and drew backlash from cricket figures including Ravi Shastri.
ISLAMABAD: Former South African cricket captain AB de Villiers has openly criticised the Indian cricket team for allowing politics to overshadow the spirit of the game during the post-match ceremony of the Asia Cup 2025.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, de Villiers condemned the Indian team’s refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, calling the act “disrespectful” and damaging to the game.
“The Indian team was unhappy about who was presenting the trophy. In my opinion, this has no place in the game. Politics should be kept aside. Sport is sport, and it should be celebrated as such,” said de Villiers.
The trophy ceremony was delayed by nearly an hour as Indian players reportedly objected to receiving the trophy from Naqvi, drawing criticism from several quarters of the cricketing world, including former Indian coach Ravi Shastri.
“I didn’t like what I saw. It became quite an uncomfortable ending,” added de Villiers, expressing disappointment over the incident.
The controversy adds to growing concerns about the politicisation of India-Pakistan cricket encounters, with tensions now affecting both men’s and women’s matches.
