‘Keep politics away from cricket,’ De Villiers on India-Pakistan hostility during Asia Cup

South African cricket great AB de Villiers was not impressed by the Indian team's refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final in Dubai on September 28.

Suryakumar Yadav-led India did not collect their medals or the winners' trophy, which was likely to be presented by the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also a union minister in Pakistan.

The Indian players remained on the ground, taking selfies and making videos, while the presentation ceremony was held. De Villiers dubbed the incident 'quite awkward'.

In his latest YouTube show titled 'Keep Politics Away from Cricket', De Villiers shared his views on the hostility between India and Pakistan throughout the Asia Cup.

"I don't think it belongs in sport; politics should stay aside," De Villiers said.

"Sport is one thing and it should be celebrated for what it is. Quite sad to see that, but hopefully that will sort things out in the future. It does put the players in a very tough position, and that is what I hate to see," said the iconic batter, who is popular among Indians, mainly due to his years with the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Asia Cup witnessed a lot of tension between India and Pakistan. The Indian team did not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts throughout three meetings in the T20 event, including in the final.