Dubai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has broken its silence on the Indian cricket team’s decision to skip handshakes with Pakistan following their Asia Cup match, citing strained bilateral ties in the wake of the April Pahalgam attack.
A senior BCCI official clarified that shaking hands is a goodwill gesture, not a mandatory rule in cricket. “If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team isn’t bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of a strained relationship,” the official told PTI.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, along with senior players, reportedly decided against the gesture after careful deliberation. Gambhir has previously maintained his stance on India-Pakistan encounters, stating, “No sporting ties as long as terror activities continue on Indian soil.”
Tensions were evident throughout the match. Even routine practices, such as exchanging team sheets, were modified the sheets were handed directly to match referee Andy Pycroft rather than through the usual captain-to-captain exchange. Pakistan team manager Naved Cheema later claimed that Pycroft had instructed Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with India’s Suryakumar Yadav.
The decision sparked reactions on social media and prompted discussion among political circles in India. Looking ahead, cricket fans are curious about how India’s women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will approach their upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup match against Pakistan in Colombo this October.
