India’s refusal to shake hands with Pak sparks outrage after Asia Cup clash

India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup on Sunday as the neighbours met for the first time since a military conflict between them in May, but tensions simmered after the match as India's players left the field without shaking hands. The incident has sparked outrage in Pakistan, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodging a formal protest and captain Salman Ali Agha boycotting his post-match media duties. The match On the field, India looked in control from the outset. Pakistan struggled to build momentum after being sent in, finishing on 127 for 9 in 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 40, while Shaheen Afridi produced late fireworks with 33 not out. India’s spinners proved decisive: Kuldeep Yadav took 3 for 18 and Axar Patel 2 for 18, strangling Pakistan’s batting line-up. In reply, India’s chase was efficient. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma both struck 31 before captain Suryakumar Yadav guided the side home with an unbeaten 47. The win, India’s second in two games, secured their place in the Super Four stage. But the cricket soon became secondary. A refusal that shocked Pakistan Pakistan’s players lined up for the customary post-match handshakes, only to see India head straight to their dressing room. Head coach Mike Hesson voiced his disappointment: “We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game, but our opposition did not do that. We sort of went over there to shake hands, and they had already gone into the changing room.” "That was a disappointing way for the match to finish, and a match we were disappointed for the way we played, but we were certainly willing to shake hands." Hesson said Agha's absence from the presentation ceremony was a "follow-on effect" of India's refusal to shake hands. The PCB statement confirmed this, terming India's actions to be "against sportsmanship". "Manager Naveed Akram Cheema has registered a formal protest against the match referee's behaviour," the PCB statement said. "Match referee requested the captains not to shake hands during the toss." India’s justification Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav later confirmed the decision had been deliberate: “We took this call before the game, in alignment with the BCCI and the government. A few things in life are above sportsmanship. We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.” Yadav’s remarks linked the gesture to April’s Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 Indian tourists were killed. India accused Pakistan of involvement, though the militant group Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility. The attack triggered a brief but fierce military escalation, with India launching missile strikes inside Pakistan and Islamabad responding by targeting Indian military facilities. A ceasefire ended the conflict after four days, but relations between the two countries remain frozen. PCB lodges protest In the aftermath, the PCB formally complained to match referee Andy Pycroft. A board official told Al Jazeera: “The umpires had allowed the Indians to walk off the field without shaking hands for which the match referee apologised after the protest of our team manager.” The PCB also highlighted confusion over pre-match protocols. According to officials, Pycroft had advised both captains not to shake hands at the toss but no such guidance was given for after the game. Pakistan believes this miscommunication compounded the embarrassment of their players waiting in vain on the field. PCB chairman and Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi strongly criticised India’s actions: “Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports.” Why handshakes matter In cricket, the handshake is more than formality. It closes contests with mutual respect, even amid intense rivalries. Captains traditionally shake hands at the toss, and players at the end of the game. On Sunday, those rituals were absent, leaving an image of division rather than respect. What comes next India’s qualification for the Super Four is secure. Pakistan now face a must-win clash against the UAE on Wednesday to keep their hopes alive. Should both teams advance, a high-stakes rematch looms in Dubai next Sunday. For now, the cricket world is debating not Kuldeep Yadav’s spin or Yadav’s match-winning knock, but the absence of a handshake. What should have been a moment of sportsmanship instead became a flashpoint in the long, fraught relationship between India and Pakistan.

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