This collage exhibits ACC Chief Mohsin Naqvi (proper) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. — AFP/ReutersIndia refuse to gather Asia Cup trophy from ACC Chief Naqvi.Dragging battle into sport disgraces spirit of sport: Mohsin NaqviSalman Agha slams India’s ‘disappointing’ conduct in Asia Cup.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chief Mohsin Naqvi has strongly criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “dragging war into sport”, saying that such remarks undermine the spirit of the sport.
Hitting again at Modi, Naqvi, who can be the nation’s inside minister, stated historical past has already recorded India’s humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s palms within the battlefield and cautioned that politicising sport with battle mirrored desperation quite than delight.
“If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game,” Naqvi stated in a submit on X.
The assertion got here in response to Modi’s illogical tweet after India’s win over Pakistan in Sunday’s Asia Cup 2025 remaining, the place the Indian premier had equated the cricket victory to “Operation Sindoor” to congratulate his gamers, solely to ask widespread condemnation that the comment militarises a sporting occasion.
Taking a jibe on the Indian chief, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif additionally joined the criticism, saying that Modi was destroying the tradition and spirit of cricket for political acquire, thereby diminishing probabilities of peace and battle decision within the subcontinent.
“Modi is ending the possibilities of peace and solutions to issues in the subcontinent to save his politics by destroying the culture and spirit of cricket. Honour cannot be regained this way. The score of the Pak-India war, 6-0, has been engraved on stone. We are not saying anything but Modi has been humiliated in India and as well as in the entire world,” Asif wrote on X.
Modi confronted criticism for his tweet not solely by Pakistani leaders, but in addition by the folks in his personal nation. Social media customers and commentators, even from Indian, shortly condemned the comparability. Critics say equating a cricket match with a army operation dangers politicising sport and undermining the sport’s spirit.
Reacting to the transfer, a journalist wrote on X: “A prime minister declaring Cricket Match equal to war. Just because India lost the war to Pakistan, they need anything just anything to compensate for that loss.”
“Equating a cricket win with #OperationSindoor, where our soldiers laid down their lives, is deeply disrespectful,” wrote one other consumer on X whereas taking a dig at Modi.
Asia Cup trophy debacle
Earlier, the closing ceremony of the ACC Males’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 led to controversy on Sunday after the Indian cricket workforce declined to gather the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who additionally heads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
India had earlier defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets in a tense remaining on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium,
Nonetheless, the post-match presentation was delayed after the Indian aspect refused to just accept the trophy from Naqvi, damaging the gentleman’s sport.
The ceremony concluded with out the standard handover, marking an uncommon finish to the match. No customary handshakes have been exchanged between gamers, persevering with a sample from earlier matches the place political undercurrents and heightened tensions have been evident.
“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,” says presenter Simon Doull.
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha stated India’s actions in the course of the match had been “bad for cricket”.
“I think what has happened in this tournament is very disappointing,” Agha informed reporters.
“If they think they disrespected us by not shaking hands, then I say they disrespected cricket.
“It has been seen for the primary time. I have no idea the place it’ll cease. What has occurred on this match is unhealthy for cricket.”
Agha additional stated that the workforce would donate their Asia Cup remaining match charges to households of civilians and kids killed within the Could Indian assaults.
The Asia Cup marked the primary cricketing contest between the 2 sides since their army confrontation in Could, with off-field politics repeatedly overshadowing on-field competitors.
— With further enter from AFP
