LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Monday that the ACC will approach the International Cricket Council (ICC) over what he described as “provocative behaviour” by Indian players in the men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 final.
Pakistan Under-19 dominated the title clash as they thrashed arch-rivals India by a massive 191 runs in a blockbuster final at the ICC Academy on Sunday.
Speaking at a reception hosted by Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif in honor of the Asian U-19 champions, Naqvi expressed concern over the behavior of the Indian players during the tournament.
“Indian players continue to provoke Pakistani players during the U-19 Asia Cup final,” Naqvi said. “Pakistan will formally report the incident to the ICC. Politics and sports should always be kept separate.”
Cricket relations between the two neighbors have long been strained due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Also addressing the gathering, Pakistan Under-19 team advisor and former national captain Sarfaraz Ahmed slammed India’s behavior during the final, saying it was “unethical”.
“India’s behavior during the match was not appropriate and their behavior was against the spirit of cricket,” Sarfaraz said.
“However, we celebrated our victory with sportsmanship. Cricket should always be played in the right mindset; what India did reflected their own actions.”
Pakistan’s emphatic victory in the final capped a remarkable campaign and underlined the team’s discipline and maturity, with officials reiterating their commitment to upholding sportsmanship on and off the field.