India, Pakistan trade barbs after Asia Cup trophy debacle
Pakistan captain Salman Agha said India had "disrespected cricket" while Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav complained his side were denied the trophy after winning a fraught Asia Cup overshadowed by ill feeling on both sides.
The two teams did not shake hands for the third Asia Cup match running as India won a thrilling final by five wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Suryakumar's men then refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), who is also chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan interior minister.
The Indian players instead celebrated retaining their regional crown by mimicking holding a trophy.
Suryakumar told reporters: "I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing cricket that the champion team is denied the trophy.
"We took the call on the ground about not taking the trophy."
The Twenty20 tournament in the UAE was the first time the Asian cricket giants had met since a deadly military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.
Tensions had been running high after the two previous matches in the competition saw political posturing and a series of flashpoints between the two teams.
"If you tell me about the trophies, my trophies are sitting in my dressing room -- all the 14 players and support staff. They are the real trophies for me," said Suryakumar.
"It appeared on the big screen that India is Asia Cup 2025 champion. It was a great journey and moment for us as a team."
The presentation ceremony was delayed for an hour before announcer Simon Doull said: "I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation."
Pakistan's Agha said India's actions during the tournament had been "bad for cricket".
"I think what has happened in this tournament is very disappointing," Agha told reporters.
"If they think they disrespected us by not shaking hands, then I say they disrespected cricket.
"What they did today, a good team doesn't do that. Good teams do what we have done. We waited for our medals and took them.
"It's been seen for the first time. I do not know where it will stop. What has happened in this tournament is bad for cricket."
In Sunday's final, India's third win over Pakistan in as many matches, India pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah bowled Haris Rauf for six and celebrated the dismissal with a crashing-plane gesture.
Rauf had made a similar motion in the previous meeting between the two teams, appearing to mock India's military action.
Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan previously mimicked a gun celebration after hitting a half-century.
- Tensions spill into cricket -
India and Pakistan only meet in cricket on neutral territory in international tournaments because of long-simmering tensions between the arch-rivals.
Both countries claimed victory in the four-day conflict in May that killed more than 70 people in missile, drone and military fire on each side.
India tagged its military action against Pakistan "Operation Sindoor", the Hindi word for vermilion, which married Hindu women wear on their foreheads.
The name was seen as a symbol of Delhi's determination to avenge those widowed in the April 22 attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which sparked the hostilities.
"#OperationSindoor on the games field," Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X after Sunday's win.
"Outcome is the same -- India wins! Congrats to our cricketers."
Naqvi was quick to respond, saying: "If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan's hands."
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K.Thompson--PI
