Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha announced on Monday that the team would donate their Asia Cup final match fees to the families of civilians and children killed in the May Indian attacks, while criticizing India’s “disappointing” behavior during the tournament. “What India did throughout this tournament has been very disappointing,” Agha told reporters after the final in Dubai. “They’re not just disrespecting us by refusing to shake hands—they’re disrespecting cricket itself. Good teams don’t act this way. We went forward to pose with the trophy on our own to fulfil our obligations, and we stood there to receive our medals. I don’t want to use harsh words, but their behavior was very disrespectful.” Pakistan lost the final to India in a last-over thriller on Sunday. The post-match presentation was delayed for over 90 minutes after the Indian side refused to accept the trophy from ACC President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister. This incident capped a series of occasions during the tournament where India avoided contact with Pakistani players and officials. Agha clarified that he held no personal issue with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, noting that Yadav would likely have shaken hands if given the choice. “He shook hands with me in private at the start of the tournament, during the pre-tournament press conference, and at the referee’s meeting,” Agha said. “But in public, in front of the cameras, they don’t shake hands. I’m sure he’s following instructions, but if it were up to him, he would have shaken hands with me.” The Pakistan captain emphasized that such behavior is unprecedented and harmful to the spirit of the game. “This is the first time I’ve ever witnessed this. Whatever happened in this tournament was very bad, and I hope it stops at some stage because it is damaging to cricket,” he added. Everything that happened today was a consequence of all that happened before. Of course the ACC president will give the trophy to the winners. If you won’t take the trophy from him, how will you get it?” As in the previous two India-Pakistan matches, neither side exchanged handshakes before or after the final. Players stayed in separate huddles while waiting for the ceremony to begin. “I’m not just a Pakistan captain, I’m a cricket fan,” Agha said. “If a kid’s watching in India or Pakistan, we’re not sending them a good message. People think of us as role models, but if we’re behaving like this, we’re not inspiring them. What happened shouldn’t have happened, but you should ask the people [India] responsible for this rather than me.” Before ending the press conference, Agha spoke about the team’s decision to support victims of the recent Indian attacks. “As a team, we are donating our Asia Cup final match fees to the families of civilians and children affected in the Indian attacks on Pakistan,” Salman Agha said in his closing remarks before wrapping up the press conference.
Pakistan donates Asia Cup final fees to May strike victims, Agha criticizes India’s conduct
