Vaibhav Suryavanshi was given a subtle jibe by Sarfaraz Ahmed after Pakistan’s Asia Cup win.
Pakistan Under-19 team mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed has addressed an incident during the Asia Cup final, suggesting that a gesture from an Indian player crossed the line of sportsmanship.
His comments follow a tense final where teenage players from both sides were involved in on-field confrontations. Sarfaraz emphasized the importance of maintaining decorum, even in the heat of a high-stakes match against arch-rivals.
A viral video from the final showed Indian opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi responding to send-offs with a pointed gesture towards his shoe. This sparked discussions about the conduct in the high-pressure encounter.
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“I played against those Indian teams who took cricket for cricket [and nothing more]. I happened to see from the outside that their behaviour towards the game wasn’t good. And one of their players did a gesture which all of you saw on the screen. I think that was inappropriate,” Sarfaraz said upon the team’s return to Islamabad.
He advised his own players to rise above any provocation. “As for the video, I just said to my players we should celebrate but with decorum. What they are doing, we shouldn’t be doing. We must show sportsman’s spirit. We should stay calm and back our team and let them do what they are doing,” he added.
Sarfaraz also praised the potential of Pakistan’s victorious squad. “The team had a lot of potential. The way the management backed them and the way the kids responded… We gave them the confidence that you are the guys who are going to play for Pakistan for the next 15-20 years. Play your natural games and play a game that you will remember for the rest of your lives,” he stated.
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