&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Asia Cup Final 2025: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha claims Suryakumar Yadav shook hands in 'private'. What Happened at the Asia Cup?")
Pakistan's captain, Salman Ali Agha, shared his thoughts on the interactions between him and India's captain, Suryakumar Yadav, during the Asia Cup, claiming that Suryakumar Yadav shook hands with him in private at the beginning of the tournament but refrained from doing so in front of the cameras. "He shook hands with me in private at the start of the tournament," Agha was quoted as saying to the reporters after the final. "Both at the pre-tournament press conference and when we met in the referee's meeting. But when they're out in front of the cameras, they don't shake our hands. I'm sure he's following the instructions he's been given, but if it was up to him, he'd shake hands with me," he added.
Agha also expressed his disappointment over certain actions during the tournament. "What India has done in this tournament is very disappointing," he said. "They're not disrespecting us by not shaking hands—they're disrespecting cricket. Good teams don't do what they did today. We went to pose with the trophy on our own because we wanted to fulfill our obligations. We stood there and took our medals. I don't want to use harsh words, but they've been very disrespectful. This is the first time I've ever seen this happen. Whatever happened in this tournament was very bad, and I hope it stops at some stage because it's bad for cricket," he added.
Agha also reflected on the broader impact such actions could have on cricket fans, especially the younger generation. “I'm not just a Pakistan captain, I'm a cricket fan. If a kid is watching in India or Pakistan, we're not sending them a good message. People think of us as role models, but if we're behaving like this, we're not inspiring them. What happened shouldn't have happened, but you should ask the people (India) responsible for this rather than me.”
