Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has issued a sharp response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet following the Asia Cup, calling for politics to be kept away from sports.

Afridi emphasized that Pakistan displayed true sportsmanship on the field despite the intense rivalry.

Afridi’s call for sportsmanship

Afridi reminded fans and leaders alike that cricket should remain a bridge between nations rather than a battlefield of politics.
“We showed sportsmanship during the game,” he said, stressing that cricket deserves to be celebrated purely as a sport.

Here’s the real difference . We have always played with pure sportsmanship, keeping war out of the game. But the world saw it when war hit the scoreboard read 7-0 . #Big_office_small_man https://t.co/LGxCf8Tz8R
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) September 29, 2025

'Keep politics out of game'

Responding directly to Modi’s celebratory remarks, Afridi urged that political narratives must not overshadow the spirit of cricket.
“Keep politics out of the game,” he asserted, warning against mixing national disputes with sporting contests.

Reference to scoreboard

Afridi also highlighted Pakistan’s capabilties, making a pointed remark about the recent military stand-off between the two countries back in May.
“The world saw that the scoreboard was 0-7 during the war,” he said, drawing a sharp comparison between cricket scores and political rivalries.