Former South African cricket captain AB de Villiers has criticised the Indian cricket team for what he described as negative behaviour and for allowing politics to overshadow sport during the Asia Cup 2025 final. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said he was disappointed to see the Indian players refuse to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). “The Indian team was unhappy about who was presenting the trophy. In my opinion, this has no place in the game. Politics should be kept aside. Sport is sport, and it should be celebrated as such,” de Villiers remarked. He added that the incident left him saddened, saying it created “an uncomfortable ending” to the tournament and expressing hope that the situation would not be repeated in the future. The controversy erupted at the post-match presentation ceremony when Indian players reportedly declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi. Earlier in the tournament, the Indian squad had also drawn criticism for refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the group stage and knockout matches.
AB de Villiers hits out at India for politicising cricket
Published on: October 3, 2025 1:32 AM