Pakistan outplayed India in the U19 Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.
Pakistan U-19 team mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed spoke out after a video featuring his voice went viral on the internet, claiming that the Indian U19 side showed disrespect during the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday (December 21).
Sarfaraz accused the Ayush Mhatre-led team of displaying “unethical” conduct in the one-sided affair, calling it a lack of sportsmanship.
Pakistan outplayed their arch-rivals in the title clash, racking up 347/8 in 50 overs on the back of Sameer Minhas' dazzling 172 off 113 balls.
The Boys in Blue got off to a flyer in their run chase thanks to Vaibhav Sooryvanshi, but the innings soon fell apart. Indian batters failed under the pressure of the final, and their innings folded for 156 in 26.2 overs.
During Pakistan’s 191-run victory, Sarfaraz was heard telling his players in native language from the dugout, which translates to: "You don’t play against ignorant people by becoming ignorant yourself; you must play within the bounds of decency”.
While the legitimacy of the video could not be verified at the time, Sarfaraz later admitted in a press conference that the remarks were indeed his, as he was critical of Indian players’ behaviour during the final.
"I have played against the Indian team before. But that Indian team respected the game. But I realised while sitting outside that this team's behaviour regarding the game was not good, and the Indian team's conduct in cricket was unethical. You saw on the screen the kind of gestures their players made. But we celebrated the victory with sportsmanship, because there should always be sportsmanship in cricket; what India did is their own action," Sarfaraz told reporters.
Sarfaraz, who had led Pakistan to 2006 U-19 World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy wins by beating India in the final, also revealed that Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, had announced a cash reward of PKR 10 million each for every member of the team.
"The Prime Minister has announced a reward of Rs 10 million for each player, and in the future, these young players will make the country proud," he added.
Sarfaraz then lauded the young side for their flawless display in the title clash and emphasized the acknowledgement they received during their meeting with the Prime Minister.
"Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the players during the meeting," he said. "The national Under-19 cricket team displayed excellent cricket, and the players and coaching staff worked tirelessly to achieve this success."