Dubai, UAE – The wide-ranging ramifications of an ongoing political standoff between India and Pakistan have led to a controversial conclusion of the archrivals’ cricket match on the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, the place India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that his squad opted towards shaking arms with their opponents as a mark of protest.
When Sunday’s Group A fixture between the South Asian archrivals was confirmed after lengthy deliberations from the Indian authorities, followers and specialists had hoped that the on-field motion might assist cool the off-field warmth.
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Yadav, although, crushed all expectations by saying his workforce’s thumping seven-wicket win within the T20 match was a “good reply” to Pakistan within the wake of the extraordinary four-day cross-border battle that introduced each international locations to the brink of an all-out war in Could.
“Our [Indian] authorities and the BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] have been aligned on the choice to play this match. We got here right here simply to play the match and gave them [Pakistan] an ideal reply,” Yadav instructed the media shortly after the match.
What occurred on the finish of the India vs Pakistan match?
Yadav, who hit the winning runs for India, walked off the sector alongside his batting associate, Shivam Dube, with out approaching the Pakistani captain and workforce for the normal post-match handshakes.
Pakistan’s gamers trudged off in a gaggle and waited for the Indian squad and assist employees to come back out and shake arms, as is the norm on the finish of cricket matches.
Nevertheless, the Indian contingent solely shook arms with one another earlier than strolling into their dressing room and shutting the door because the ready Pakistan gamers appeared on.
No handshakes between the groups. Salman Agha appeared to steer Pakistan over to the India dressing room, however nothing doing. All of them headed straight in #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/0BbJtYdkAf
— Paul Radley (@PaulRadley) September 14, 2025
Why did Indian workforce refuse to shake arms with Pakistani gamers?
The Indian captain was requested to make clear his workforce’s actions and whether or not they have been in contradiction with the spirit of the game.
“Just a few issues in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” the 35-year-old swiftly responded.
“We stand with all of the victims of the Pahalgam terror assault and with their households, and dedicate this win to our courageous armed forces who took half in Operation Sindoor.”
Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ a number of missile assaults on six areas inside Pakistan.
India mentioned the missiles have been in response to the April 22 assault on vacationers in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam, wherein 26 males have been killed. An armed group referred to as The Resistance Entrance (TRF), which calls for independence for Kashmir, claimed duty for the assault, however India had alleged Pakistani involvement.
Two days later, Pakistan responded to the missile strikes by attacking navy installations throughout its frontier with India and Indian-administered Kashmir, putting at the very least 4 amenities.
The battle ended 4 days later, due to an internationally-brokered ceasefire.
Whereas the alternate of aerial fireplace got here to a halt, the diplomatic ties between the neighbours remained suspended, and the political pressure spilled over into cricket when the fixture between India and Pakistan was introduced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Did India break any guidelines by not shaking arms?
Because of this, the match was performed beneath a extremely charged political local weather, and when each captains didn’t indulge within the customary handshake on the pre-match toss, the main focus swiftly shifted to the interactions between the groups.
Nevertheless, Al Jazeera has discovered that the match referee, Andy Pycroft, had requested Yadav and his counterpart, Agha, to skip the pre-toss ritual.
“The match referee requested each captains to not shake arms on the toss,” an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), requesting anonymity, instructed Al Jazeera after the match.
Match officers additionally granted India permission to skip the post-match handshakes with Pakistan, however didn’t inform Agha or his workforce, in accordance with the supply.
This resulted in an awkward-looking post-match situation, the place the Pakistani gamers adopted Yadav off the pitch and waited for the Indians to emerge, solely to look at them shut the dressing room door.
How did Pakistan reply?
Pakistan’s supervisor Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest towards the Indian cricket workforce’s actions with Pycroft, who’s an Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) accredited match referee.
“The umpires had allowed the Indians to stroll off the sector with out shaking arms for which the match referee apologised after the protest of our workforce supervisor,” the official mentioned.
Moreover, Pakistan captain Agha didn’t communicate on the post-match captain’s chat with the host broadcaster in a mark of protest.
Mike Hesson, Pakistan’s head coach, confirmed that Agha’s refusal to point out up for the speak and the media briefing was a “follow-on impact” of the Indian workforce’s actions.
“We have been able to shake arms on the finish of the sport, however our opposition didn’t do this,” Hesson mentioned.
“We type of went over there to shake arms, and so they had already gone into the altering room.”
Why are handshakes necessary in cricket, and what’s the protocol?
As per the norm in cricket, the 2 on-field gamers of the workforce batting second shake arms with the fielding workforce and the umpires earlier than strolling off.
And in what’s now a standard observe in all worldwide cricket matches, the batting workforce then enters the bottom to shake arms with their opponents.
It provides either side to finish the match on a pleasant be aware and alternate phrases of encouragement.
In the identical method, each groups’ captains shake arms earlier than the toss, which takes place half-hour earlier than the beginning of play.
The toss is performed by the match referee on the pitch and often broadcast dwell.
Each captains and the match referee also can take pleasure in a pre-match chat relating to workforce lineups or every other issues of mutual curiosity for each groups.
The match referee also can meet a captain, head coach or supervisor of both workforce earlier than the match.
What have the event officers mentioned concerning the incident?
The transfer was lamented by the ACC chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, who can be the chairman of the PCB.
“Totally disappointing to witness the dearth of sportsmanship at the moment,” Naqvi mentioned in a put up on X.
“Dragging politics into the sport goes towards the very spirit of sports activities.”
Totally disappointing to witness the dearth of sportsmanship at the moment. Dragging politics into the sport goes towards the very spirit of sports activities. Lets hope future victories are celebrated by all groups with grace
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) September 14, 2025
Al Jazeera has reached out to the ACC for a touch upon the revelation that each captains have been requested to not shake arms on the toss.
The ACC has not but responded to the request.
Pakistan and India are prone to meet once more within the Asia Cup if each groups qualify for the Tremendous 4 stage.
India have all however certified after two wins in two video games, whereas Pakistan face the UAE in a must-win fixture on Wednesday.
Ought to each groups win their respective video games, their Tremendous Fours match will happen on Sunday in Dubai.
