Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi has warned India against “dragging war” into sport, following remarks made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after India’s Asia Cup final victory over Pakistan.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi congratulated the Indian team for their five-wicket win and likened the cricketing triumph to Operation Sindoor, a military offensive launched by India during a four-day conflict with Pakistan in May.
“#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same, India wins! Congrats to our cricketers,” Modi posted.
In a sharp response, Naqvi said that introducing war rhetoric into cricket only revealed “desperation” and “disgraced the very spirit of the game”. He added, “If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands.” He further stated, “No cricket match can rewrite that truth.”
Tensions between the two nations escalated further when the Indian cricket team reportedly refused to collect the winners’ trophy from Naqvi during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Simon Doull, who hosted the presentation, said, “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight.”
Meanwhile, the political undertone extended to post-match gestures, as both cricket boards announced charitable donations tied to the recent military conflict.
Indian player Suryakumar Yadav announced he would donate his match fee to the victims of the May 7 attack on the Indian side. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday that the national team would donate their match fees to the civilians killed in the same attack on the Pakistani side.
In a statement shared on X, the PCB said, “The Pakistan Cricket Team has dedicated its Asia Cup final match fees to the innocent victims martyred in the May 7 attack, in which civilians, including children, lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.”
The developments mark a significant low in cricketing relations between the two nations, with the Asia Cup final overshadowed by political tension and public criticism on both sides.
