A senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official said that shaking hands with the opponent at the end of a cricket match is just a goodwill gesture, in the context of the controversy following the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan. India captain Suryakumar Yadav did not exchange pleasantries with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha after the match. Even after India’s 7-wicket win, Indian cricketers did not shake hands with their opposition. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was not happy with the incident and decided to lodge an official complaint with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). However, the BCCI official made it clear that what India did was not wrong at all.
The BCCI official went on to say that there is no law that forces players to shake hands at the end of the game, and given the rising political tensions between India and Pakistan, it makes no sense for Indian cricket team players to shake hands or have any interaction with the Pakistan cricketers.
“Look, if you read the rule book, there is no specification about shaking hands with the opposition. It is a goodwill gesture and a sort of convention, not law, that is followed globally across the sporting spectrum,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
“If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team is not bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of a strained relationship,” he added.
The PCB also demanded the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing competition, alleging violation of the ‘Code of Conduct’ by him.
“The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded the immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup,” PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said on ‘X’.