Dubai, Sept 29 (UNI) Pakistan captain Salman Agha said he privately shook hands with India captain Suryakumar Yadav at the start of the Asia Cup, but publicly the Indian team’s behaviour was “disappointing” and disrespectful to cricket.
Speaking at the post-match press conference after India’s last-over win in the final against Pakistan on Sunday night, Agha said, “He [Suryakumar] shook hands with me in private at the start of the tournament… But when they’re out in the world in front of the cameras, they don’t shake our hands. I’m sure he’s following the instructions he’s been given, but if it was up to him, he’d shake hands with me.”
Agha criticised India for refusing to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council president, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, and Pakistan’s interior minister. “Good teams don’t do what they did today [refusing to accept the trophy],” he said. “We went to pose with the trophy on our own because we wanted to fulfil our obligations. We stood there and took our medals. I don’t want to use harsh words, but they’ve been very disrespectful.”
The presentation ceremony at Dubai’s cricket stadium was delayed by over 90 minutes following Pakistan’s defeat, marking the latest in a series of moments where India limited contact with Pakistan players and officials.
Reiterating that there was no precedent for refusing handshakes in cricket, Agha described the post-final scene—where Suryakumar mimed holding the trophy—as a consequence of India’s behaviour throughout the tournament. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen this happen. Whatever happened in this tournament was very bad, and I hope it stops at some stage because it’s bad for cricket. Everything that happened today was a consequence of all that happened [before],” he said.
Agha also expressed concern about the message such conduct sends to young fans in both India and Pakistan. “I’m not just [India] Pakistan captain, I’m [India] cricket fan. If [India] kid is watching in India or Pakistan, we’re not sending them [India] good message… What happened shouldn’t have happened, but you should ask the people [India] responsible for this rather than me,” he added.
India’s last-over victory secured their record ninth Asia Cup title, but the post-match controversy has reignited debate over sportsmanship and the spirit of the game.
