 "Pakistan U19 mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed defends ‘jahilon ki tarah jahil nhi hona’ remark, lashes out at Vaibhav Suryavanshi")
Former Pakistan captain and current U19 team mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed has criticised the behaviour of Indian players during the U19 Asia Cup 2025 final, while also explaining his controversial “jahilon ki tarah jahil nhi hona” remark that went viral during the match.
Pakistan defeated India by a massive 191 runs in the final played in Dubai on December 21. A day after the match, Sarfaraz was asked at a press conference in Pakistan about a clip that had circulated on social media, where he was seen telling his players not to “behave like those uncivilised people.”
Sarfaraz’s comments were caught on the live broadcast of the match, and a video of the moment was later widely shared on social media. In the clip, Sarfaraz can be heard telling his players to stay within limits and not behave in an uncivilised manner, even while playing against uncivilised people.
😅 Sarfaraz bhai in the background:
— Hassam Ahmed (@HassamSyeed) December 21, 2025
"Tameez ki tarha rehna, Jahilon ki tarah jahil nhi hona."#PakvsIndU19 #IndvsPak #U19AsiaCupfinal pic.twitter.com/IX0tDCxnip
Sarfaraz defends his comments
Defending his statement, Sarfaraz said what he said was only meant to remind his players to maintain sportsmanship. He claimed that while watching from outside, he was disappointed with the on-field behaviour of some Indian players. He specifically referred to a gesture made by an Indian batter, which he felt was inappropriate.
He added that if players have an issue, they can respond verbally, as it often happens in cricket. However, he felt that the gesture shown by the Indian players crossed the line. Sarfaraz said he clearly told his Pakistan players that celebrations should be done in the right way and that they should not display poor behaviour.
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View All“I have also played against other Indian players. I have played against that Indian team that played cricket as cricket. But when I sat outside and watched, their behaviour related to the game was not good at all. And the gesture that their player made, which all of you saw on the screen, I think that was very inappropriate. If you have any issue, then there are many things that happen verbally. I have also played cricket. If you have a problem and someone responds to you, then you respond back to him,” Sarfaraz said.
“But the inappropriate behaviour that their player showed should not have been done. I told my players that if you want to celebrate, then you should do it in the right way. The way they are doing it, we should not do that. We have to show sportsman spirit and play the game in a good manner,” he added.
Sarfaraz Ahmed responded to his ongoing viral video saying 'Jahilon kay Khilaf Jahilon Ki Tarah Nahi Khelna, Tameez Kay Dairay Me Khelna Hai'
— Khel Shel (@khelshel) December 22, 2025
VC: PCB#Cricket | #Pakistan | #SarfarazAhmed | #U19AsiaCup | #Islamabad pic.twitter.com/5354wuuYkb
What was the gesture that irked Sarfaraz?
The incident Sarfaraz referred to took place during India’s innings in the final. Indian batters Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi were involved in a verbal exchange with Pakistan players, who were celebrating wickets aggressively. The moment came in the fifth over when Suryavanshi was dismissed.
Suryavanshi edged a delivery from Ali Raza to the wicketkeeper and was out after scoring a quick 26 off 10 balls. Raza celebrated the wicket loudly and appeared to say something while giving the send-off. Suryavanshi responded with words of his own and also made a gesture towards his foot before walking back to the pavilion.
वैभव सूर्यवंशी को भारत की संस्कृति की मर्यादा रखते हुए,
— Rajesh Kushwaha (@rajeshkush563) December 21, 2025
पाकिस्तानी प्लेयर को,
उसकी औकात मेरे जूते के बराबर वाली हरकत नहीं करनी चाहिए #INDvsPAK #U19Cricket #vaibhavsuryavanshi #Ashes #Ashes2025 #TheAshes #Akhanda2 #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/D5K2QMA769
The tension did not end there. After the match, Indian players reportedly refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team. They also collected their runners-up medals and cheque from ICC and ACB officials, choosing to ignore ACC and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
This was a continuation of a long-standing no-handshake policy maintained by India against Pakistan in multi-nation cricket events. It first started in the Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, where Suryakumar Yadav repeatedly refused to shake hands with Pakistan captain Shan Masood.
If we go into the reasons for it, the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, including Operation Sindoor, played a major role. However, public pressure on the BCCI following its decision to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup just months after the tensions may also have contributed to the reaction.
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