Sarfaraz Ahmed Blasts India Over ‘Unethical’ Behavior in U19 Asia Cup 2025 Final

The mentor of Pakistan U19 team, Sarfaraz Ahmed, has slammed the Indian U19 team for their ‘unethical’ behavior during the final of the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2025. He said the Indian team did not display sportsmanship in the final, which escalated tensions between the two sides.

It should be noted that the Indian U19 team was defeated badly by the Pakistan U19 team in the final of the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2025 on December 21. The rising stars of the Pakistan team played the match with high confidence, as they knew the overconfident Indian team were no match for their class and skills in the all-important final.

Sameer Minhas remained the star of the final, as he scored a big hundred to give Pakistan a commanding total of 347 on the board. In reply, the classless Indian batters showcased no fight against the Pakistan bowlers, as they were mauled badly in the second innings by the pace attack of Ali Raza, Abdul Subhan and Mohammad Sayyam.

The much-hyped IPL talent, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, failed miserably in front of a high quality Pakistan pace attack. After getting humiliated by Pakistan in the recent Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, the so-called generational talent once again crumbled in front of Pakistan bowlers on Sunday. His reaction after being dismissed by Ali Raza caught everyone’s attention, as he walked back to the pavilion looking like a sore loser, reeling with anger and high frustration.

Speaking at a media conference, Sarfaraz Ahmed slammed the Indian team for their frustrating antics. He said their behavior in the final match was not good, however, the Pakistan team maintained its composure and played the game with high sportsmanship.

"India's behavior regarding the game was not good, and the Indian team's conduct in cricket was unethical. But we celebrated the victory with sportsmanship, because there should always be sportsmanship in cricket; what India did is their own action," said mentor of Pakistan U19 team, Sarfaraz Ahmed.

He also revealed that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, has announced a cash reward of Rs10 million for each team member of the Pakistan U19 team in recognition of their historic achievement.

"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," said Sarfaraz Ahmed.

"Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the players during the meeting. The national Under-19 cricket team displayed excellent cricket, and the players and coaching staff worked tirelessly to achieve this success." added Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Applauding the Performance of Youngsters

Afterwards, Sarfaraz praised the performance of middle-order batter Ahmed Hussain, who scored a gritty half-century in the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2025 final. He said Hussain’s innings was just as important as Sameer Minhas’s, as it provided the team with a strong foundation to post a big total in the first innings.

“Ahmed Hussain’s innings was as important as Sameer Minhas’,” said Sarfaraz Ahmed.

The head coach of Pakistan U19 team, Shahid Anwar, also praised the performance of the team. He said the players had worked hard before the start of the tournament, which ultimately delivered positive results.

"From June 17, we began a talent hunt with seventy players, conducting trials to identify the best prospects. Each player was given four matches to prove themselves, and those who performed well were invited to the final camp." said head coach of Pakistan U19 team, Shahid Anwar.

"Our goal upon leaving the country was clear: to win the trophy and, more importantly, to win the hearts of cricket fans," concluded Shahid Anwar.