PCB Files Formal Complaint
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) over the “handshake saga” that marred the high-profile Pakistan-India Asia Cup 2025 clash. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi accused match referee Andy Pycroft of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC’s spirit-of-cricket laws by instructing both captains to skip the traditional handshake at the toss.
“The PCB has demanded Pycroft’s immediate removal from the Asia Cup,” Naqvi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He added that the decision was against the spirit of cricket and tarnished the values of sportsmanship.
The Incident on Field
Tensions flared after Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates declined to engage in the customary post-match handshake with Pakistan’s players. Instead, the Indian squad celebrated among themselves and retreated to the dressing room, leaving Pakistan’s players lined up on the field waiting.
Head coach Mike Hesson later confirmed that Pakistan’s squad had been expecting the gesture. In protest, skipper Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match presentation ceremony — a break from broadcast protocol where captains typically speak after the game.
PCB and ACC Response
PCB chief Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), condemned the incident as “utterly disappointing,” stating that politics had no place in cricket. “Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports,” he wrote on X, calling for victories to be celebrated with grace.
Pakistan’s media manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged an official protest with match referee Pycroft immediately after the game. “The behaviour of Indian players was against the spirit of sportsmanship,” Pakistan’s team management said in a statement.
India’s Justification
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who led his side to a convincing win by scoring an unbeaten 47, defended the decision. He said the move was in alignment with directives from the Indian government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“We are aligned with the government and BCCI. Some things are above sportsmanship,” Suryakumar told reporters.
The controversy also overshadowed the pre-match toss, where the two captains did not exchange handshakes either, further fueling debate over the influence of politics on cricket.
