Handshake Row Escalates, Pakistan Lodge Protest Against India & Match Referee

Dubai: Match referee Andy Pycroft found himself at the centre of a controversy as India opted against handshakes with Pakistan after their seven-wicket victory in the Asia Cup clash at Dubai on Sunday

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released a statement, confirming that their team manager, Naveed Akram Cheema, had lodged a “formal protest”, alleging that the referee had gone as far as asking both captains not to shake hands during the toss itself.

“Manager Naveed Akram Cheema has registered a formal protest against the match referee’s behaviour. Match referee requested the captains not to shake hands during the toss,” ESPNcricinfo reported, quoting the PCB statement.

It also termed India’s actions against the spirit of the game.

The PCB also decided not to send their captain Salman Ali Agha for the post-match presentation as a protest against India.

Suryakumar Yadav, who scored the winning runs for India, left the field with his batting partner, Shivam Dube, without participating in the customary post-match handshakes with the Pakistani captain and team. A video later emerged on social media in which the Indian players can be seen heading straight to the dressing room after exchanging handshakes among themselves, and then shutting the dressing room doors to completely snub the handshake.

The Pakistan players were left a bit stunned by the response as they had queued up for the post-match handshake and even walked halfway towards the Indian dugout.

😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣👋 https://t.co/GkWSW6K7yL pic.twitter.com/UYvVO0f24l

— sahil (@103of238) September 14, 2025

While Pycroft’s formal response to the PCB’s complaint is still awaited, the India captain asserted that ‘some things are beyond sportsmanship’.

“We had come only to play. We had given them a reply. Some things are beyond sportsmanship. We dedicate this victory to our armed forces who took part in ‘Operation Sindoor’ and stand with families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack,” said Suryakumar.

The decision to avoid the customary gesture of goodwill was taken in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian government, he added.