Pakistan’s team manager, Naveed Akram Cheema, filed an official complaint with the match referee, Andy Pycroft, after Team India refused to shake hands with the opposition following their commanding seven-wicket win in the Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium.
Heading into the contest, the build-up was far from ideal. Boycott calls reigned supreme, and fans back in India weren’t pleased with the game going on in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Earlier this year, 26 people were killed in a ghastly attack in Kashmir, and this led to India launching Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Now, Hindustan Times can confirm that the Pakistan management has officially lodged a complaint against the Indian team’s actions, saying they were against “the spirit of sports.” An official statement shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board over WhatsApp confirmed that match referee Pycroft informed Salman Agha not to shake hands with Suryakumar Yadav at the toss, but no directive was issued for the post-match formalities.
“The Pakistani cricket team manager Naveed Akram Cheema has officially lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team, calling the behaviour against the spirit of sports,” stated the official statement.
It also needs to be mentioned that another controversy erupted after the Pakistan captain did not come for the post-match interview with the official broadcaster, Sony. Now, it has been confirmed that Salman Agha snubbed the post-match presentation with Sanjay Manjrekar because of the handshake gate.
“Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match presentation in protest against the behaviour of the Indian team۔,” the statement added.
The game started with captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha making no handshake or eye contact. However, this wasn’t considered a big deal as the Indian skipper had also not shaken hands with the UAE captain Muhammad Waseem.
However, drama unfolded after Suryakumar Yadav hit the winning six. He and Shivam Dube charged into the dressing room without shaking hands with the Pakistan players. At first, it seemed that even Salman Agha and his team were not interested in offering the handshake.
However, things took a turn when the entire Pakistan lineup, led by captain Agha and coach Mike Hesson, approached the Indian dressing room, waiting for the customary handshakes. Soon, the Indian management shut the door, firmly closing any chance of going out and offering their hand for the post-match formalities.
This left Pakistan coach Hesson fuming, and he even came to the press conference to explain his stance, saying his team wanted to shake hands, but there was no reciprocation from the other side.
Suryakumar dedicates win to the Indian Armed Forces
Speaking after the win over the arch-rival, Suryakumar Yadav dedicated India’s win to the Indian Armed Forces, saying the entire contingent stands in solidarity with the Pahalgam terror attack victims.
“We stand by the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile,” he said right at the end of the post-match presentation. (Hindustan Times)
