ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s triumphant Under-19 Asia Cup campaign, capped by a crushing 191-run victory over arch-rivals India in Dubai, was celebrated at the highest level on Monday as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a cash award of Rs10 million for each member of the winning squad, praising the young cricketers “for lifting the nation’s pride and winning the hearts of 240 million Pakistanis”.

The prime minister hosted a luncheon in honour of the victorious team after their return home, congratulating players, coaching staff and team management for what he termed a historic and emphatic achievement.

Welcoming the players individually, the premier said the manner in which Pakistan defeated India in the final carried special significance and symbolised the country’s growing strength in youth cricket.

“The way you trained, played and handled pressure shows maturity beyond your age. You have brought great honour to Pakistan and proved that our future in cricket is bright,” the prime minister said, urging the players to remain focused over the coming years to earn places in the national side.

Along with announcing Rs10m for each player, the prime minister declared a cash award of Rs2.5m for each member of the sports staff, reiterating the government’s commitment to nurturing young talent.

He specially praised standout performers, including opener Sameer Minhas for his superb batting display of 172 runs in the final, captain Farhan Yousaf for his leadership, Ali Raza for his impactful wicket-taking spells and fellow pacer Abdul Subhan for claiming 13 wickets during the tournament.

Earlier, Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi highlighted the team’s composure and professionalism, particularly during the high-pressure final against India.

Referring to provocations during the match, he said the players showed remarkable patience and maturity by focusing solely on the game.

“We kept cricket and politics separate. Our boys did not react and stayed committed to fair but fearless cricket. Allah rewarded their discipline with victory,” he said.

Mohsin also announced that work had begun on establishing a most modern High Performance Centre in Lahore, saying the existing facility had become outdated.

“In a few months, we will inaugurate a world-class facility that will help these players prepare for international challenges,” he added.

Head coach Shahid Anwer said Pakistan had achieved their goal of playing “fearless but not careless cricket” throughout the tournament. Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad after meeting the prime minister, Shahid recalled the long process that went into building the squad.

“We began a process on June 17 [this year],” he said. “It was an unprecedented step … we called up 70 players, conducted trials and gave each player four matches each and then they participated in a regional One-day tournament. The top performers, 30 of them, then took part in a five-month long camp … that’s how the team was made.

“We wanted to play fearless but not careless cricket. We wanted a united team and the result is in front of us.”

Shahid pointed out that the coaching staff was fortunate to work with players who already possessed key qualities. “In age group cricket, most of the work is on basics,” he said. “We were lucky in the sense that these players had two qualities that we only needed to polish: one that they didn’t give up and second that they were adaptable.”

Team mentor and manager Sarfraz Ahmed, who himself led Pakistan to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2006, described the Asia Cup triumph as a “team effort” and said the confidence gained from the championship would be invaluable heading into the Under-19 World Cup, scheduled for January-February 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

“We had players that had the potential to do something big,” Sarfraz said. “The coaches did a lot of hard work and the players responded … our job was to give them the confidence to play to their full potential. My message to them was to play their natural game, and in a way that they remember it for the rest of their lives.”

He added that when he joined the team during a training camp in Multan, it was clear the squad could achieve something special if backed properly. “I told them that you are players who will play the upcoming World Cup, you are players who will play cricket for many years, so play fearless cricket with full potential,” he said.

Sarfraz also criticised the conduct of the Indian team during the final, saying their behaviour was “not good” and “unethical”.

India skipped the customary post-match handshakes — a practice they have followed since the men’s Asia Cup T20 earlier this year — while one of their batters, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, made a ‘shoe-pointing’ gesture after being dismissed.

“When I played against India, their behaviour used to be sportsmanlike,” Sarfraz said. “But in this championship, the behaviour of the Indian team towards the game was not good at all — rather it was improper. I asked my boys to celebrate while remaining calm and not to follow India’s approach. We celebrated the victory, displaying sportsman’s spirit.”

Skipper Farhan said the players enjoyed the full backing of the team management throughout the tournament.

“We spoke about playing fearless cricket and the management backed us to play our natural game,” he said. “We were told that any loss will be our [management’s] concern, while any victory will be attributed to your efforts. Our morale never went down.”

Farhan thanked the prime minister and the PCB for their encouragement and said well-structured training camps and consistent support played a crucial role in the team’s success. He added that the heroes’ welcome on their return was a major confidence booster and would help the team in the upcoming tri-series and the World Cup.

Sameer, the hero of the final, said he stuck to his natural game while compiling a breathtaking 172 at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. “I was focused on doing well and making runs in the final and that helped me,” he said.

Sameer finished the tournament as Pakistan’s standout batter, scoring 476 runs in five matches, including 177 against Malaysia.

Pacer Abdul Subhan said clear plans and discipline were key to his success. “I had a plan to try to bowl dot balls and ultimately the batter will make mistakes,” he said. “I did this and remained successful.”

Earlier in the day, the team received a rousing heroes’ welcome at Islamabad International Airport, where fans showered the players with rose petals amid drum beating and fireworks.

State Minister for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, PCB officials, senior police officers and district administration officials were present to receive the squad, as celebrations marking the title win continued in the capital.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025