Will inform ICC about Indian players’ provocative behaviour during Under-19 Asia Cup final PCB

“Pakistan will formally inform the ICC about the incident. Politics and sports should always be kept separate,” says Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Accusing the Indian players of provocative behavior during the Under–19 Asia Cup final, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that he intends to “formally inform” the ICC about it.

“Pakistani players during the Under-19 Asia Cup final” says PCB.

Accusing the Indian players of provocative behavior during the Under-19 Asia Cup final, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that he intends to “formally inform” the ICC about it.

Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs in the final of the age-group continental showpiece in Dubai on Sunday (December 23, 2025). Players from both sides were seen engaged in verbal altercations during the game, and the two teams did not exchange the customary handshakes before and after the match.

“Indian players kept provoking Pakistani players during the Under-19 Asia Cup final,” Mr. Naqvi said at a reception hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan will formally inform the ICC about the incident. Politics and sports should always be kept separate,” he added. The Pakistan team’s mentor-cum-manager, Sarfaraz Ahmed, also said that he was disappointed with the behavior of the Indian youths.

“The behavior and attitude of the Indian players was not good and improper,” he alleged. Even if Pakistan were to file a formal complaint, the ICC would go by the report filed by the match referee only.

India-Pakistan diplomatic ties have taken a nosedive after the Pahalgam terror attack in April earlier this year, in which 26 tourists were gunned down by terrorists.

The Indian government has banned all bilateral sports engagements with Pakistan but has exempted multi-nation competitions, citing the Olympic Charter that prohibits discrimination on political grounds.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has accused Indian players of provocative behavior during the Under-19 Asia Cup final and said that it plans to raise the matter with the International Cricket Council.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that Pakistan would “formally inform” the ICC about the conduct of the Indian team during the final, which Pakistan won by 191 runs in Dubai on Sunday.

Players from both sides were seen engaging in verbal altercations during the match, and the two teams did not exchange the customary handshakes before and after the game.

“Indian players kept provoking Pakistani players during the Under-19 Asia Cup final,” said Naqvi at a reception hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan will formally inform the ICC about the incident. “Politics and sports should always be kept separate,” he added.

Pakistan team mentor-cum-manager Sarfaraz Ahmed also criticized the conduct of the Indian players, saying that he was disappointed with their behavior.

“The behavior and attitude of the Indian players was not good and inappropriate,” he alleged.

Even if Pakistan files a formal complaint, the ICC would rely on the report submitted by the match referee to decide on any action.

India-Pakistan diplomatic ties have deteriorated sharply after the Pahalgam terror attack in April earlier this year, in which 26 tourists were gunned down by terrorists.

The Indian government has banned all bilateral sports engagement with Pakistan, while exempting multi-nation competitions, citing the Olympic Charter which prohibits discrimination on political grounds.

The Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 final

The Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 final concluded with Pakistan securing a victory against India, thanks to Sameer Minhas’ historical century. While the cricketing affairs on the field in the final were accompanied by a few heated exchanges, the matter seems to have been stretched by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). After Pakistan Under-19 team’s coach Sarfaraz Ahmed complained about Indian players’ behavior in the final, Naqvi said that he would lodge a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The final, on Sunday, saw Pakistan put a whopping total of 347/8 on the board. Defending the target, Pakistan bowled out India for 156 in 26.2 overs, securing a thumping 191-run victory. Pakistan’s win in the final was their first Under-19 Asia Cup title in 13 years. It was also only the second U19 Asia Cup title in Pakistan’s history.

Speaking at the reception for the Under-19 team hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi promised to lodge a formal complaint against the Indian players over their behavior in the final.

“Indian players kept provoking Pakistani players during the Under-19 Asia Cup final,” said Naqvi while speaking to the media. “Pakistan will formally inform the ICC about the incident. Politics and sports should always be kept separate

During the same interaction, Sarfaraz said that India’s behavior in the match was against the ‘spirit of the game’.

“India’s behavior during the game was not appropriate, and their conduct was against the spirit of cricket,” said Sarfaraz. “Despite that, we celebrated our victory with sportsmanship. Cricket should always be played in the right spirit; what India did reflects their own actions.”

During the men’s senior Asia Cup 2025 matches between India and Pakistan, players from both sides were found guilty of violating the Code of Conduct. The likes of Haris Rauf and Suryakumar Yadav were among the players to have been reprimanded by the ICC.

Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed that Pakistan will file a formal complaint against the India U19 team for provoking Pakistan players during the U19 Asia Cup final in Dubai. Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs in the summit clash to lift the title for the second time. Following the victory, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted the Asia Cup-winning team, where Naqvi lashed out at the Indian players.

“Indian players kept provoking Pakistani players during the Under-19 Asia Cup final,” said Naqvi at a reception hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Pakistan will formally inform the ICC regarding the incident. Politics and sports should always be kept separate,” he added.

We have played against Indian teams who respect cricket. The way the young boys behaved was disrespectful towards the sport,” Sarfaraz said.

“I clearly told my players that celebrations should be respectful. I wanted the boys to show their ability in this format. I told my boys: back themselves, let them do what they are doing.”

Sarfaraz said that he had told his team to maintain sportsmanship during the final. “But we celebrated the victory with sportsmanship, because there should always be sportsmanship in cricket; what India did is their own action.”

Pakistan U19 Beat India

Meanwhile, Pakistan U19 were too hot to handle in the final. Sameer Minhas set up the win with a brutal 172 that helped Pakistan reach 347-8 in 50 overs. Vaibhav Suryavanshi got India off to a flyer, but India kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for a mere 156, bringing an end to their unbeaten streak and losing the game by a whopping 191 runs.
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