DUBAI – The controversial Asia Cup 2025 ended in a spectacular way when Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha blamed India for all the problems that beset the event. Agha defended his team’s choice not to have news conferences after the game and said that India’s actions were the main reason for the continued tension.
There were a lot of heated moments during the competition, starting with the first group-stage match when players from India and Pakistan didn’t shake hands after the game. This caused a number of things to go worse:
India’s Position: Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the win to the Indian Armed Forces and the victims of the Pahalgam terror assault. This was perceived as a political message.
Pakistan’s Response: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and match referee Andy Pycroft, saying they would not play in the tournament if Pycroft was not removed. When the request was turned down, Pakistan’s team is said to have thought over their possibilities, which caused their match against the UAE to start late. The team also missed two press conferences before the game.
The Last Boycott: The tournament ended with India’s refusal to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB and ACC chairman who is also a minister in the Pakistan government. Indian fans are said to have booed Naqvi during the ceremony.
During the press conference, someone asked Agha if he had ever seen a winner team not get a trophy. In response, he blamed India, saying, “Sir, what we did was just a result of what happened earlier in the tournament.” You are asking me questions, but who started it? “Look at that.”
Agha supported Naqvi when asked about the prize snub, saying, “If the ACC President is there, he will give away the trophy.” How are you going to get the trophy if you don’t want to take it from him? He said that not going to press conferences was a reaction to what happened on the field and not something he planned to do.
Agha went on to claim that India’s team spirit was bad and that their acts were disrespectful not just to Pakistan but also to the game of cricket itself. “People who play cricket assume that if they don’t shake hands with us, they are being rude to us. No, sir, they are not being respectful of cricket. A good team would never act like this now. A good team will act the same way we did. We were there to get our medals.
Agha’s comments show how tense this year’s Asia Cup has been, with both teams accusing the other of being bad sports and breaching the rules.