The Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan has been marred by controversy, with Pakistan captain Salman Agha expressing his displeasure over India captain Suryakumar Yadav's refusal to shake hands during the tournament. Agha accused Yadav of hypocrisy, claiming that while Yadav shook hands with him privately at the start of the tournament, he refused to do so in front of the cameras. This, along with India's refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, has led Agha to accuse India of "disrespecting cricket".
Agha stated that Yadav shook hands with him at the pre-tournament press conference and during a referee's meeting. However, he noted that when in public, Yadav avoided shaking hands, suggesting that Yadav was following instructions from someone else. Agha felt this sent the wrong message to cricket fans worldwide.
The decision by the Indian team to not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts was reportedly a sign of solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian armed forces. Yadav himself stated that "some things in life are bigger than sportsman's spirit," underscoring the depth of sentiment behind the gesture.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft, alleging that he enabled the handshake snub. The PCB even threatened to boycott a group fixture unless Pycroft was removed, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected their demand.
Adding to the controversy, the Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan's interior minister. The Indian team management informed ACC officials that they were "not okay" with receiving awards from Naqvi, citing his social media posts and diplomatic tensions. Naqvi then left the venue with the trophy, leading to the Indian team being unable to lift the title. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia condemned this act as "extremely unfortunate and unsportsmanlike".
Agha defended Naqvi, stating that if he is the ACC president, the trophy should be received from him. He also criticized India for disrespecting cricket, saying that "good teams don't do what they did today". Agha stated that his team posed with the trophy to fulfill their obligations and that India's actions were "very disrespectful".
The controversies surrounding the Asia Cup 2025 final have sparked debate about sportsmanship and the role of politics in cricket. While some believe that India was justified in their actions due to the political tensions between the two countries, others argue that it was disrespectful to the game and the Pakistani team.
Kapil Dev weighed in on the controversy, stating that players should focus on their performance and not be dragged into political disputes. He said that not shaking hands was "not a big thing" and that refusing the trophy was understandable, but such matters should not be dragged on.
The Asia Cup 2025 has been filled with controversy, including Sahibzada Farhan's "gunshot celebration" and Haris Rauf's gesture of "6-0" towards the Indian crowd. These incidents, along with the handshake and trophy presentation controversies, have made this a memorable tournament for all the wrong reasons.
