West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder sparked backlash after calling the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 row unnecessary. His remarks on the trophy issue angered Indian fans, who said he ignored terrorism concerns and political context.
The veteran West Indies all–rounder Jason Holder has reignited controversy with his massive mark on the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 row. The Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan was marred by controversy, with Men in Blue’s refusal to shake hands with arch-rivals and Haris Rauf's provocative on‑field gestures drawing criticism.
The two arch-rivals met three times at the Asia Cup, and Team India won all three encounters, including the final at the Dubai International Stadium. Despite winning the tournament, successfully defending the Asia Cup triumph, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue were not given the silverware as they refused to accept the trophy from PCB and ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi due to controversial posts mocking the Indian Armed Forces.
Naqvi eventually left the ceremony by taking away the trophy and medals, forcing Team India to celebrate their historic win without the actual silverware on the stage and even mimicking lifting an “imaginary cup” in place of the real one.
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‘India-Pakistan Beef Unnecessary’
The Asia Cup 2025 controversy between India and Pakistan was one of the talked-about topics last year, as the post-final drama quickly became the talking point of the tournament. However, Jason Holder, who was recently acquired by the Gujarat Titans, called out that ‘India-Pakistan beef’ was unnecessary.
Speaking on the Cricbuzz show, Game on with Grace, hosted by Mathew Hayden’s daughter, the West Indies all–rounder said that India not accepting the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi was ‘just too much’, highlighting that both nations are cricket powerhouses and urged players to focus on the game rather than letting the rivalry overshadow the sport.
“I don’t like the India–Pakistan beef. It goes way beyond the cricket field. It's sad because they are the two powerhouses in world cricket. I saw India win the Asia Cup, and they didn’t go to accept the trophy. It’s just too much, man,” Holder said.
The Asia Cup 2025 was the first face-off between India and Pakistan since the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam Terror Attack, wherein 26 Indian nationals were killed by militants at Baisaran Meadows, which is seven kilometres from the Pahalgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite the calls for a boycott of all sporting engagements with Pakistan, the BCCI still decided to go ahead with the scheduled Asia Cup fixture. However, India maintained a cautious approach on and off the field, avoiding interaction with Pakistan players and refusing to accept the trophy from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Jason Holder Slammed for Lacking Context
Jason Holder’s controversial statement on ‘India-Pakistan beef’ during the Asia Cup 2025 was met with criticism, as fans slammed the veteran West Indies all-rounder for giving his opinion without context.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), Indian cricket fans and enthusiasts called out Holder for a lack of context behind the situation, accusing him of overlooking terrorism-related concerns, ignoring Pakistan players’ actions during the tournament, and even demanding the BCCI release him from the IPL for his remark.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian government decided that India and Pakistan would engage in bilateral sporting ties, with encounters between the two nations only permitted at multi-nation tournaments held at neutral venues.
The next face-off between India and Pakistan will be in the group stage of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 15.
