Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 30 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Syed Kirmani shared his thoughts as Men in Blue refused to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in the hard-fought final by five wickets on Sunday.

Syed Kirmani told ANI, 'The way cricket is being played all around..., there has been no gentleman-ness 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... It is very depressing to me the way things are going on in the sporting field, particularly in cricket... It is not the right thing that has happened. Politics should not enter sports in general... Leave politics behind. Whatever has transpired away from the sporting field, leave it there itself. Don't relate it to your winning amount or whatever you are earning from this great game of cricket.'

On Sunday, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage, while Salman accepted the runners-up cheque from Naqvi. The Indian players did not acknowledge him. The ACC chairman didn't applaud the Indian players who came up to receive their personal accolades.

Simon Doull, the presenter for the host broadcaster towards the end of the ceremony, confirmed that, 'I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.'

Eventually, the speculations cleared up after it was confirmed by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. He disclosed that India had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy during the presentation ceremony from ACC Chairman Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's interior minister.

'We have decided not to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan. So we decided not to take it from him. But that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him, along with the medals. So it is very unfortunate and unsportsmanlike, and we hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible,' Saikia told ANI.

After the Asia Cup 2025 triumph, India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav announced that he would donate his match fees from all the T20 Asia Cup games to the Indian army, following India's five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Further, sharing his views on this, Kirmani added, 'Don't dedicate it to noble causes... Any noble cause, quite understandable, but do not relate it to the politics... In our time, cricketers had such wonderful camaraderie. Pakistani players coming to India, we're going to Pakistan. What hospitality, what love, what affection... I have to put my head down as a cricketer...' (ANI)