The decision by India’s cricket captain, Suryakumar Yadav, not to lead his team out for the traditional post-game handshake after their victory over Pakistan seemed designed to blindside the opposition.
The lead-up to the tournament has seen mixed messaging from across the border, with many former players and pundits in India calling for a complete boycott of cricketing ties with Pakistan following the May conflict. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, reiterated its policy that it would face Pakistan in multilateral tournaments but continue to refuse bilateral series.
This was a continuation of the status quo, as the two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2012 when Pakistan toured India. That is why, when the Indian captain attended the tournament’s opening ceremony and shook hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha as well as Asia Cup President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, it seemed cricketing relations would continue under a same-old-same-old policy.
Perhaps this explains why the Pakistan team lined up to wait for the Indians to emerge from their dressing room for the customary handshakes—only to be left surprised when they did not appear. This kind of attitude exemplifies how the BCCI has approached its relationship with Pakistan cricket in recent times. They continue to play matches against Pakistan for the massive television viewership and revenue, but seek to make the process as humiliating as possible for the players and the PCB.
India’s attempts to ostracise Pakistan cricket did not begin after the Pahalgam attack, which its players repeatedly mentioned in post-match media interactions. In March this year, when Pakistan hosted the ICC Champions Trophy, the BCCI refused to send its team to Pakistan. An arrangement was eventually made whereby India played its games at a neutral venue. In response, Pakistan announced it would also play its fixtures at a neutral venue when India hosts the World Cup in March 2026.
These actions by the BCCI predated the Pahalgam attack. For now, the PCB has taken an unusual course of action by demanding that the match referee be removed from the tournament because he suggested to the Pakistan captain that he need not shake his counterpart’s hand at the toss. While this was interference, it may have been done at the behest of the Indian captain, or the referee may have acted independently to maintain civility between the sides.
Rather than targeting a match official, the PCB needs to address the matter directly with the ICC and demand respect for its players. The PCB appears serious about its threat of quitting the tournament early. However, it must adopt a more direct approach to counter what can only be described as bullying by the BCCI.
respect? respect to whom? terrorists? palistani mothers giving birth to termites and there is no ise of them. pakistan should be nukes to establish permanent peace in south asia