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Naqvi Criticises Modi for Politicising Asia Cup Win, PCB Donates Fees to May 7 Victims
ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi hits back at PM Modi for linking India’s Asia Cup win to “Operation Sindoor,” warning that dragging war into sport shows “desperation.” PCB donates match fees to May 7 victims.
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by Muhammad Hashir
2025-09-29
Naqvi Criticises Modi for Politicising Asia Cup Win, PCB Donates Fees to May 7 Victims

The head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday for politicising India’s Asia Cup victory against Pakistan by linking it to past military conflict.

In a post on X following the final, Modi congratulated the Indian team by calling the win a continuation of “Operation Sindoor,” a reference to India’s military action against Pakistan during a brief conflict in May.

“#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same — India wins! Congrats to our cricketers,” Modi wrote.

Responding, Naqvi said such remarks undermined the spirit of sport. “If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth,” he said. He further warned that “dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.”

Trophy Snub Deepens Tensions

The controversy escalated when the Indian cricket team refused to collect the winner’s trophy from Naqvi during the post-match ceremony, a move seen as a historic low in cricket diplomacy between the two rivals. Broadcaster Simon Doull confirmed during the presentation that the team had declined to receive their awards.

Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha described India’s actions as a “disrespect to cricket,” saying, “What they did today, a good team doesn’t do that. Good teams do what we have done — we waited for our medals and took them.”

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav later claimed the team was “denied” the trophy but also said the decision not to accept it was taken collectively.

PCB’s Gesture for May 7 Victims

In a show of solidarity, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that the team had donated their Asia Cup match fees to the families of civilians killed in the May 7 Indian strike. “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families,” the PCB stated.

The move came after Yadav pledged to donate his fees to Indian victims of the same conflict.

Series Marred by Hostility

Despite going ahead amid calls for boycotts, the Pakistan-India clashes during the tournament were overshadowed by controversies. Incidents included India’s refusal to shake hands after matches, politicised remarks, and reprimands from the ICC against Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for on-field gestures.

The Asia Cup marked the first cricketing encounter between the neighbours since the May military confrontation. That escalation began when India launched airstrikes in Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir. Pakistan denied involvement, and tensions cooled only after U.S. mediation.

Naqvi has already lodged complaints with the ICC over what he described as India’s “lack of sportsmanship,” and observers warn the tournament may have deepened, rather than eased, hostility between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Tagged:

CricketDiplomacy

AsiaCup2025

Naqvi

SportsAndPolitics
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