Former Indian cricket group’s captain Kapil Dev speaks throughout a information convention in Mumbai, India. — Reuters/File
After the ACC Males’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 was hit by a collection of controversies, former India skipper Kapil Dev confused that cricketers from his facet to “move on” and “let politicians do their job”.
His feedback got here after Indian cricketers soured the gents’s play from the start of the event, from handshake snub to declining trophy handover from Mohsin Naqvi, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman, who additionally heads Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Talking on India At present, Dev, who captained India to World Cup glory in 1983, stated that whereas it was pure for gamers to have emotions for his or her nation, such feelings shouldn’t stop sportsmanship on the sector.
“Shaking hands is not a big thing. You didn’t shake hands; it does not matter. You have also announced that you don’t want to take the trophy from that man. That’s also fine.”
He added: “But you can’t linger on for this type of thing. You have to finish, you have to move on. Let the government do that job, let the politician do that job.”
The ex-cricketer urged that each side ought to try to resolve points.
For media quarters, Dev was of the view: “I just want to say — your responsibility, and responsibility for the entire media, also we should look into the sports side rather than looking into the politics side.”
“Yes, the media has the responsibility to bring everything to the table, but as a sportsman, I would like to see that we stick to sports. It will be much better,” he added.
This 12 months’s continental cricket event was marred by many controversies after captains from each side refused a customary handshake throughout three encounters.
The handshake snub got here within the backdrop of an ongoing row between the arch-rivals, stemming from the group-stage conflict to the ultimate, which attracted appreciable consideration each on and off the sector.
The marquee occasion concluded with one other controversy when the Indian cricket group refused to obtain the Asia Cup trophy from ACC chairman Naqvi.
The transfer reportedly got here on the directives of the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) after India turned the Asia Cup champions by defeating Pakistan within the event remaining on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium a day in the past.
The post-match ceremony was concluded with no trophy handover to the Males in Blue.
