A senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official defended the Indian team's decision to forgo post-match handshakes with Pakistan following their seven-wicket victory in the Asia Cup 2025 Group A match on Monday, describing the gesture as a mere convention rather than a mandatory rule. India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates opted not to exchange pleasantries with Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha, sparking controversy dubbed the 'Handshake Gate'. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal complaint with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, alleging violations of the ICC Code of Conduct and the spirit of cricket.
The incident unfolded after India's dominant chase, where they bowled out Pakistan for 127 and reached the target with 42 balls to spare, thanks to fifties from Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. At the toss, Pycroft instructed Pakistan to skip the traditional handshake, citing ACC directives amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
The PCB, led by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, expressed outrage on X, stating, "The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the match referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded the immediate removal of the match referee from the Asia Cup." Pycroft, a former Zimbabwean cricketer, is scheduled to officiate Pakistan's next match against the UAE.
The BCCI official, speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, emphasised that no rule compels handshakes, framing it as a goodwill gesture observed globally but not enforceable. "Look, if you read the rule book, there is no specification about shaking hands with the opposition. It is a goodwill gesture and a sort of convention, not law, that is followed globally across the sporting spectrum," the official said. He added, "If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team is not bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of a strained relationship." This stance reflects the broader India-Pakistan rift, exacerbated by recent events like the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, which prompted India's boycott of bilateral cricket series since 2008.
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The controversy has ignited reactions from cricket luminaries. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly criticised Pakistan's response, while ex-Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi lambasted his son-in-law Shaheen Afridi's performance and the board's handling of the row. A former Indian cricketer questioned the Pakistani players' "mentality" in expecting pleasantries amid political hostilities.
The Asia Cup, hosted in the UAE from September 9 to 28, features eight teams in T20 format and serves as a rare neutral-ground platform for the archrivals. With India advancing to the Super Fours, the episode underscores how off-field dynamics continue to infiltrate the sport, challenging notions of cricket's unifying spirit.
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