Following the recent Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan, cricket legend Kapil Dev has voiced his concerns about the increasing intrusion of non-sporting issues into the game. He emphasized the importance of keeping cricket separate from politics, urging fans and media to focus on the sport itself.
Kapil Dev's comments come after a controversial end to the Asia Cup final, where India defeated Pakistan by five wickets. The Indian team declined to accept the trophy and medals from Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Asian Cricket Council. This led to a delayed and shortened presentation ceremony.
"I just want to say — your responsibility, and responsibility for the entire media also we should look into the sports side rather than looking into the politics side," Kapil Dev stated in an interview with India Today. He stressed that while the media has a responsibility to present all aspects of a situation, his preference as a sportsman is to keep the focus on the game. "As a sportsman, I would like to see that we should stick to sports. It will be much better," he added.
This isn't the first time Kapil Dev has spoken out about keeping politics out of cricket. Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 clash between India and Pakistan, he urged the Indian team to remain focused and not get distracted by external controversies. He stated that players should concentrate on their performance and leave political matters to the government. "Just go and win. Players should play, and the government will handle its job," Kapil Dev said.
Kapil Dev also commented on the quality of the Pakistan cricket team, remarking that they currently lack the talent they possessed in the 1980s and 1990s. He acknowledged the great players Pakistan has produced, such as Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis, but expressed that the same level of talent is not visible today. "Pakistan has given us, to the world, one of the best cricketers... But unfortunately, we can't see similar talent today — not even one percent of what they used to have," Kapil Dev added.
In a separate incident during the Asia Cup, India captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha after the toss. This act was repeated after the match, with the Indian team returning to their dressing room without shaking hands with the rivals. While Suryakumar Yadav justified his stance by saying that some things are bigger than sporting spirit, Kapil Dev urged both teams to focus on cricket and not blow such incidents out of proportion. "These are small things, and the focus should be on playing cricket," Kapil said. "If someone doesn't want to shake hands, there is no need to make a big issue".
Kapil Dev's message is clear: cricket should be about the sport, the competition, and the camaraderie, not about political tensions or controversies. He believes that players, media, and fans should all prioritize the game and allow the government to handle political matters.
