By News18,Rudransh Khurana
Copyright news18
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was savage in his remarks about Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha skipping the post-match presentation ceremony after Sunday’s Asia Cup 2025 clash, saying that fans anyway wanted to hear the winning captain over the ‘excuses from the other side’.
Agha’s gesture was in response to India skipping the customary handshakes after the match and shutting the dressing room door on the waiting Pakistani side, which is being seen as their way of cutting off the connection with the neighbors in light of the Pahalgam terror attack. While the Indians have received a lot of support back home, Pakistani administrators have asked to keep sports and politics separate.
However, Gavaskar said that it has never been the case.
“Sports and politics have never been separate – you only need to look back over the years to see that,” Gavaskar told India Today. “I wouldn’t criticise someone for taking that stance, and I wouldn’t want to get into a debate about it. When you start discussing political references, you get into policies and complexities that are frankly beyond my pay grade. I don’t think it (Agha’s ceremony snub) made much difference anyway – people mainly wanted to hear what the winning captain had to say, not excuses from the other side,” he added.
The former skipper-turned-commentator also backed the Indian side’s decision to avoid shaking hands, saying every individual had the right to do so.
“I didn’t see it myself, but ultimately it’s up to each individual what they want to do. On the field there are times when people abuse you and say things that aren’t acceptable. If someone has been calling you names, asking that you go and shake hands with them is too much to expect. I don’t know exactly what happened on the field or whether words were exchanged, but if an individual decides not to shake hands, they are perfectly within their rights to do so,” Gavaskar added.
Pakistan have lodged official complaints with the ICC against India’s conduct, though the Men in Blue are unlikely to be sanctioned.
