India Disrespecting Cricket by Not Shaking Hands, Says Pakistan Captain Salman Agha After Asia Cup Final Loss
India’s Asia Cup win sparks controversy as players skip handshakes, reject trophy from ACC chief, Pakistan hit back.
India’s victory in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan has stirred fresh controversy, with post-match actions drawing sharp reactions from across the border.
For the third time in the tournament, Indian players walked off the field without shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts. The tension did not stop there. The team also refused to collect the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and PCB chairman.
Adding to the drama, India captain Suryakumar Yadav skipped the pre-final captains’ photoshoot. After the match, he announced that he would donate his entire Asia Cup match fees to the Indian armed forces, calling it a gesture of gratitude to soldiers.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha did not hold back in his criticism. He accused India of “disrespecting cricket, not just Pakistan” by refusing handshakes and breaking tradition.
“Whatever has happened in this tournament is quite disappointing. They think that by not shaking hands, they are disrespecting us, but they are actually disrespecting cricket. A good team doesn’t do what they have done,” Agha said during the post-match press conference.
“A good team would have done what we did. I went alone and did the photoshoot with the trophy, and then we went and collected the medals,” he added.
On India’s refusal to accept the trophy from Naqvi, Agha questioned the logic:
“He shook hands with me during the press conference at the start of the tournament and the referee meeting. When it is in front of the world, then they don’t do it. I am sure if it were up to him, he would do it. But he is only following instructions,” Agha added.
