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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has defended Team India’s stance of refusing handshakes with Pakistani players during the Asia Cup 2025 match to respect the sentiments of the fans back home and express solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
There was a palpable anger among Indian fans as the Asia Cup match came closer. The fans wanted a complete boycott of Pakistan, but India went ahead so as not to hamper their prospects of hosting future multinational events.
Also Read | Handshake Row: India didn’t do anything out of ordinary, athletes have often registered protests like this
The cricket board and the Team India management, however, felt that they needed to take some action as social media exploded with criticism, said a report in news agency PTI. As a result, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and players decided to boycott handshakes with Pakistani players.
BCCI defends India players refusing handshakes with Pakistan
Rejecting allegations of breaching any rule or the sportsman spirit, a BCCI official told PTI that handshakes after a game are just a gesture of goodwill. However, as that feeling is missing between the two teams, India were well within their rights to refuse the tradition.
“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.
“If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team isn’t bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of a strained relationship," the official added.
Also Read | How Pakistan can be knocked out of Asia Cup due to protest after handshake row
Pakistan, meanwhile, are livid over the refusal and has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to remove the match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has alleged that Pycroft asked the captains not to shake hands at the toss.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThey have threatened to boycott the match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) if their demand is not met. But a report states that the ICC is set to reject the request.
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