Pakistan under-19 team mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed broke his silence after a video featuring his voice surfaced on social media, alleging that the Indian U19 side showed disrespect during the Asia Cup final on Sunday. Sarfaraz accused the Ayush Mhatre-led team of displaying “unethical” behaviour during the one-sided contest in Dubai, claiming it reflected a lack of sportsmanship.
India, eight-time U19 Asia Cup champions, were comprehensively outplayed in the final at the ICC Academy Ground. Sameer Minhas’ blistering 172 off 113 balls powered Pakistan to a formidable total of 347 for eight. In reply, India began on an aggressive note but soon lost their way against the extra pace and movement of the Pakistan fast bowlers, eventually collapsing for 156 in 26.2 overs. Pakistan sealed a dominant 191-run victory to lift the U19 Asia Cup title for the first time in 13 years, and only the second time in their history.
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During the match, a video went viral in which Sarfaraz was heard telling the Pakistan players in their native language from the dugout, which translates to: "You don’t play against ignorant people by becoming ignorant yourself; you must play within the bounds of decency”. While the authenticity of the clip could not be independently verified at the time, Sarfaraz later confirmed in a media conference that the remarks were indeed his, as he addressed what he described as India’s behaviour during the final.
{{/usCountry}}During the match, a video went viral in which Sarfaraz was heard telling the Pakistan players in their native language from the dugout, which translates to: "You don’t play against ignorant people by becoming ignorant yourself; you must play within the bounds of decency”. While the authenticity of the clip could not be independently verified at the time, Sarfaraz later confirmed in a media conference that the remarks were indeed his, as he addressed what he described as India’s behaviour during the final.
{{/usCountry}}"I have played against the Indian team before. But that Indian team respected the game. But I realised while sitting outside that this team's behaviour regarding the game was not good, and the Indian team's conduct in cricket was unethical. You saw on the screen the kind of gestures their players made. But we celebrated the victory with sportsmanship, because there should always be sportsmanship in cricket; what India did is their own action," Sarfaraz said.
Sarfaraz, who had beaten India twice during his playing career, in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup final and the 2017 Champions Trophy final, also revealed that Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, had announced a cash reward of PKR 10 million each for every member of the team.
"The Prime Minister has announced a reward of Rs10 million for each player, and in the future, these young players will make the country proud," he added.
Sarfaraz then praised the young side for their outstanding display in the final and underscored the acknowledgement they received during their meeting with the Prime Minister.
"Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the players during the meeting," he said. "The national Under-19 cricket team displayed excellent cricket, and the players and coaching staff worked tirelessly to achieve this success."