‘Pakistan should never play against India’ - Kamran Akmal wants cricketing boards to boycott India after 2025 Asia Cup trophy fiasco

Published - 29 Sept 2025, 18:12 IST | Updated - 29 Sept 2025, 18:12 IST

Former Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal has advocated for the Pakistan Cricket Board to call off cricketing relations with the BCCI and India without further delay. The Men in Blue recently defeated Pakistan thrice in the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2025.

Kamran called for a boycott against India after they refused to shake hands with Pakistan before or after any of the three matches they played against Pakistan and then refused to take the trophy from ACC and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi after winning the final. He urged other cricketing bodies to consider his opinion.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board should immediately say ‘we should never play against India’. Let’s see what action the ICC takes. What else do you need after this as evidence? The person leading the ICC is the one in charge of the BCCI – how will he [Jay Shah] take any action? The other boards have to come together, say we can’t see this in cricket. Sports is not played at anyone’s home. If others don’t play them, then no money is going to come,” stated Akmal in a conversation with ARY News.

The 43-year-old also commented on the 'cheap harkatein (antics)' displayed by the Indian team. He was most definitely alluding to India's reluctance of collecting the trophy from the president of the ACC-cum-chairperson of the PCB Mohsin Naqvi because of holding a grudge against him.

“The earlier these things can be controlled, the better for everybody. A neutral body has to be formed without Pakistan and India, make a committee of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and let them decide on the action which should be taken about all that has happened in this tournament. These cheap harkatein (antics), we shall keep seeing from India. We have seen in this tournament they have done as much damage to cricket as they could. PCB and ACC president took the right stand – take the trophy or not, it will be given by the president only. India will become the joke of the cricketing world,” he added.

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Pakistan emerged as runners-up of the competition after being edged out by India by five wickets and two balls to spare. With this, they granted India their ninth title of the continental tournament. On the other hand, Pakistan have won the title only twice.