Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has strongly criticized India for bringing politics into cricket during the Asia Cup.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said politics should never interfere with sport. “Politics should be kept out of sport,” he said. “Cricket is a separate thing, and its celebrations should remain that way.”
De Villiers added that he was disappointed by what he witnessed at the closing ceremony. “It seemed the Indian team was unhappy about who was handing them the trophy. I don’t think that has anything to do with cricket,” he said.
“Watching everything at the closing ceremony was disappointing. I hope the matter is resolved soon. This situation puts players and the game in a difficult position, and I hate seeing that. In the end, it just didn’t feel right,” he added.
The controversy began after India defeated Pakistan in the final but refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The ceremony ended without a handover, leaving the trophy with ACC officials. Earlier in the tournament, Indian players avoided handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts, while their captain skipped a pre-final photo with Pakistan’s skipper.