Coach Sarfaraz Ahmed Accuses India of "Unethical Conduct" After Pakistan's Dominant Win In U-19 Asia Cup Final

Pakistan clinched their second Under-19 Asia Cup title - and their first in 13 years - with a crushing 191-run victory over India on Sunday. The result was powered by a monumental innings from Sameer Minhas, whose blistering 172 off 113 balls propelled Pakistan to a formidable 347 for eight. India, led by Ayush Mhatre, were never in the chase and folded well short of the target. However, it was not just Pakistan's cricketing dominance that grabbed attention. Speaking after the final, Sarfaraz accused the Indian Under-19 side of displaying "unethical" behaviour, suggesting their conduct reflected a lack of sportsmanship during the one-sided contest.

"We have played against Indian teams that respected cricket. The way the young boys behaved was disrespectful towards the sport," Sarfaraz said.

"I clearly told my players that celebrations should be respectful. I wanted the boys to show their ability in this format. I told my boys: back yourself, let them do what they are doing."

The former Pakistan captain further emphasised that Pakistan chose to celebrate their triumph with restraint, despite what he perceived as provocation from the opposition.

"India's behaviour regarding the game was not good, and the Indian team's conduct in cricket was unethical," he added.

"But we celebrated the victory with sportsmanship, because there should always be sportsmanship in cricket; what India did is their own action."

During the match, a video from the Pakistan dugout went viral on social media, capturing Sarfaraz addressing his players in their native language. The clip, which quickly sparked debate online, included a message that translated 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 video could not initially be independently verified, Sarfaraz later confirmed in a media conference that the remarks were indeed his, made in response to what he described as India's behaviour during the final.

The incident has added an edge to an already intense India-Pakistan rivalry at the junior level, turning Pakistan's long-awaited Asia Cup triumph into a talking point not just for their performance, but also for the debate around conduct and sportsmanship in youth cricket.

Topics mentioned in this article

India U19 Pakistan U19 Sarfaraz Ahmed Cricket