Ex-skipper Bishan Bedi slams India U19 team: Disgusting and disgraceful

India players indulge in a wild celebration after dismissing a Bangladesh's player at Potchefstroom on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images

Bishan Singh Bedi has come down heavily on the visible poor behaviour of the Indian team during Sunday's U-19 World Cup final against Bangladesh in South Africa, tongue-in-cheekly urging the International Cricket Council to "put its foot down" on such conduct and call it a "juvenile" and not the "U-19 World Cup."

Bangladesh achieved their maiden World Cup triumph by three wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis method and the on-field aggression went on even after the winning runs were hit. Some players reportedly got physical while returning to the pavilion end of Senwes Park, Potchefstroom.

The Bangladeshi players appeared to be more poorly behaved, but Bedi said: "Look, what Bangladesh do is their problem, what our boys do is our problem. You could see that there was abusive language used.

Bishan Singh Bedi

"You bat, bowl and field badly…happens, but there's no excuse for behaving badly. The behaviour was disgusting and most disgraceful. The innocence of that age was not visible at all," stressed Bedi, bringing up the age issue. "India, Pakistan and Bangladesh…all Asian teams which made the semi-finals…you could tell from a country mile that the players were not under-19. Few years ago, Rahul Dravid spoke about the overage issue. What has happened to us? I am very disappointed," the former India skipper asked.

Continuing on the topic of poor behaviour, Bedi lamented: "Who can control this?

India's Ravi Bishnoi sends off a Bangladeshi batsman. Pic/AFP

If the top is behaving like that, what do you expect? The coach, team manager should be hauled up. Dravid must answer to this development."

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