India vs Pakistan fixtures always make headlines for the cricketing action. However, their recent Asia Cup 2025 encounter also came into the limelight because of the Men in Blue’s decision to not shake hands with their arch rivals.
This was the first time that India was facing Pakistan after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam from earlier this year. The team’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, did not shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha at the toss.
Match referee, Andy Pycroft, was reportedly informed of this decision mere minutes before the toss happened, after which he informed Agha of the same.
Pycroft reportedly told about no IND-PAK handshake 4 minutes before toss
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Andy Pycroft was told by the ACC Venue Manager that the BCCI had informed them about there being no handshakes between the India and Pakistan captains just four minutes ahead of the toss.
After the match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had complained about Pycroft not taking the ICC into loop about BCCI’s message. However, as per the report, Pycroft responded that he did not have enough time to do so, and could only inform Agha about it at such short notice.
The PCB had sought his removal as match referee following the IND vs PAK Asia Cup match, and the subsequent antics resulted in a delayed start to the PAK vs UAE match on September 17. However, that match would eventually start an hour later, with Andy Pycroft still acting as the match referee.
India and Pakistan, both, have now qualified for the Asia Cup Super 4s round, and will now face each other in it this Sunday, on September 21, 2025. Needless to say, it will be quite interesting to see if the defending champions refuse to shake hands with its arch rivals yet again.
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