Asia Cup 2025: Shoaib Akhtar expresses disappointment after India refuses handshakes with Pakistan players

Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar slammed the Indian players for refusing the customary handshakes with Pakistan after winning the Asia Cup 2025 group stage match by seven wickets in Dubai.  The match, which was played under heightened tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack and a brief cross-border escalation earlier in the year, saw calls to boycott the fixture. However, the BCCI and the Indian government had cleared the participation in multi-national events and removed all the bilateral ties with them.

After the game, Pakistan's players were waiting to exchange handshakes, while India’s players walked straight back to their dressing room and shut the door. Meanwhile, head coach Gautam Gambhir had previously urged the team to avoid handshakes and verbal exchanges as a deliberate show of solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam attack and the country’s armed forces. Akhtar voiced his disappointment, calling the no-handshake act disheartening and urging players not to politicise the sport. 

"I'm speechless. It is disheartening to see and I don't know what to say. Hats off to India. Just don't make things political. Cricket match hain isko political mat banao. Hum ne acchi statement di hai aapkee liye. Hum bohut kuchh bol sakte hai. Hoti rehte hain ladayi jhagre, ghar me bhi ho jaati hain. (Don't make a cricket match political. We have said nice things about you. We can say a lot of things about the no handshake. Fights happen, even inside your house. Forget it, move on. It is the game of cricket, shake your hands, show your grace.)" said Akhtar as quoted by NDTV.

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PCB lodge protest after India's handshake controversy

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PCB lodge protest after India's handshake controversy

Match referee Andy Pycroft requested captains at toss not to shake hands

Later, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that team manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a formal protest, describing India’s behaviour as against the spirit of sportsmanship. Notably, match referee Andy Pycroft had requested captains at the toss not to shake hands, an allegation that Pakistan has taken up formally with match officials.

Talking about the game, India restricted Pakistan to 127/9 and chased 128 in 15.5 overs, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s 47. Pakistan’s innings repeatedly lost momentum against India’s spinners, with Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel among the architects of a collapse. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s late cameo (33 off 16) provided some fight, but he couldn't help them reach a respectable target. Suryakumar’s 47, along with Tilak Varma, helped the team reach the target well inside the allotted overs.