India defeated Pakistan in the final of Asia Cup 2025 on Sept 28.
Syed Kirmani, the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian keeper-batter, has shown disappointment at the lack of sporting spirit in cricket. He expressed his displeasure at hearing his pals discuss the recent Asia Cup being tainted by politics.
Kirmani could not hold back as he called out obscene gestures on the field during the Asia Cup matches between India and Pakistan, which ended with Suryakumar Yadav's team winning the trophy.
The Asia Cup received more attention for its off-field controversy than for its cricket, confirming India's status as Asia's top T20I squad by far.
Pakistan won the 'gesture wars', with a couple of their players making aggressive signs, alluding to the military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May following the terror assault in Pahalgam. When provoked, Indian players retaliated in kind, while also refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players in any of their three Asia Cup matches.
After India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, they refused to take the trophy and medals from Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan interior minister and ACC and PCB chief, who was present on the dais. This was after Naqvi had shared an instigating post on social media, furthering the tensions before the final.
The Pakistani board president took the trophy when India ignored Naqvi on the dais, depriving the Indian team of the chance to celebrate with the trophy.
"The way cricket is being played all around, there has been no gentlemanliness in the game. There have been very rude, arrogant gestures on the field. I'm getting messages from all over: 'The Indian team has done what? What politics is going on in the field?' I'm ashamed to listen to the comments. What's happened to the current era of cricketers? What has happened at the Asia Cup is disgusting.' These are the words that have come onto my messages," Kirmani told ANI.
This all had begun when India captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha, and then the Indian team did the same with Pakistani players after winning their group match on September 14 in Dubai. Irked by the same, Salman Agha refused to come to the post-match presentation ceremony.
Kirmani recalled the India-Pakistan rivalry during his time, saying players were able to rise above political tensions and ensure they played the game in the right spirit.
"Whatever has transpired away from the sporting field, leave it there itself. Don't relate it to your winnings or to whatever you are earning from this great game of cricket. Don't dedicate it to noble causes. Any noble cause is quite understandable, but do not relate it to politics. In our time, cricketers had such wonderful camaraderie – Pakistani players coming to India, us going to Pakistan. What hospitality, what love, what affection. I have to put my head down as a cricketer,” Kirmani added.
"Absolutely depressing" is how Kirmani describes the evolution of cricket from his time to the present, a perspective he thinks many cricket fans share.
(ANI inputs)