JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Former South African batting great AB de Villiers has strongly criticised the Indian cricket team’s apparent refusal to accept the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, calling the incident a clear case of politics unnecessarily intruding into sport.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, “AB de Villiers 360,” the cricket icon stated that the awkward and chaotic trophy presentation following India’s victory sent a damaging message to the world.
“Team India sort of weren’t happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don’t feel that belongs in sports. Politics should stay aside. Sport is one thing, and it should be celebrated for what it is,” de Villiers asserted.
He expressed sadness over the situation, noting the negative impact on the players. “Quite sad to see that, but hopefully they sort things out in the future. It does put the sport, the players, the sportsmen, the cricketers in a very tough position, and that’s what I hate to see. It was quite awkward there at the end.”
The Asia Cup tournament was marked by visible tension between the Indian and Pakistani teams, notably the absence of handshakes across their three meetings and a strained atmosphere spilling over into the medal and trophy protocols.
De Villiers’ comments echo the advice previously given by India’s World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev. Speaking to India Today, Dev, who led India to glory in 1983, urged his compatriots to “move on” and “let politicians do their job.”
While acknowledging the players’ natural patriotic sentiments, Dev stressed that such emotions should not impede sportsmanship. “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 said.
He concluded by stressing the need for finality and focus: “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.“
