Shoaib Malik attacked India for rejecting the trophy, saying it will haunt them in the future.
The final match of the Asia Cup 2025 was played between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium. In a thrilling match, India defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets to win the title. However, a major decision by the Indian team after the match became a topic of discussion.
Table of Contents
The Indian players flatly refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy because they were not in favor of accepting it from Mohsin Naqvi, President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Shoaib Malik’s attack on India for rejecting the trophy, “It will haunt them in the future”
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik criticized India for this incident. He said, as quoted by the Indian Express, that while the Indian team may be considering it a victory for its principles today, this decision will haunt them in the future. Malik believes that the players won the match despite facing tremendous pressure on the field, and not accepting the trophy afterward is a denial of the recognition and hard work of that crucial moment.
According to reports, the Indian players’ anger stemmed from Mohsin Naqvi’s social media posts. Just before the final, Naqvi reposted a photo titled “Final Day,” which showed Pakistani players wearing pilot uniforms and fighter jets flying behind them.
Not only this, Naqvi also shared a controversial post mid-tournament, which showed a graphic of a falling plane alongside a picture of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Indian players considered such posts insensitive and against the spirit of the game. Therefore, they refused to accept the trophy despite winning the match.
Shoaib Malik said, “After so much hard work and struggle, rejecting the trophy when it was in your hands does not send the right message. In the future, this incident will definitely remind the Indian team that they missed a historic moment.”
