'Indian players and BCCI were told not to shake hands': Shahid Afridi erupts over post-match handshake row

Former Pakistan cricket Shahid Afridi launched a diatribe against India and the BCCI after the Men In Blue refused to shake hands with Pakistani players in their Asia Cup 2025 match on Sunday to mark a protest and express solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

As the India vs Pakistan match was taking place only a few months after the April attack in which 25 Indians were killed, leading to a military conflict between the two nations, the Indian cricket fans had vehemently objected to the national team playing against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025.

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Social media was full of people asking the BCCI and the Indian team to boycott the match against their bitter rivals. However, BCCI decided to go ahead with the match as per the Indian government’s policy, which states that India will not boycott Pakistan in multinational sporting events like the Asia Cup and World Cup, as they do not want politics to hamper the prospects of hosting the Olympics in 2036.

Forced to play the match amid highly-charged environment, Indian players decided to show support to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack by refusing handshakes with Pakistan players. Immediately after the match was over, the Indian players marched back to the changing room from the dugout, ignoring the Pakistan players.

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In the post-match press conference, India captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that the decision not to shake hands with the opponents was made by the team to give a “proper reply.”

“Our government and BCCI, we were aligned. Together, we came here, we took a call and I feel we came here just to play the game. And we gave the proper reply. See how it is, I feel a few things in life are above sportsman spirit,” the Indian captain said.

Afridi attacks India after handshake refusal

Livid with India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players. Afridi went on a rant as he claimed that the BCCI and Indian players were asked to refuse handshakes, considering the pressure from the Indian public.

He also accused Indian players of proving to be an  “embarrassment” for the country on the bigger stage.

“When the Asia Cup began, social media was filled with the boycott campaigns ahead of the match between India and Pakistan. Considering there was pressure, it is no surprise that the players and the BCCI were told not to shake hands with our team,” said Afridi during a discussion on Samaa TV.

“I have always said that players should be great ambassadors and not an embarrassment. I don’t want to fault the Indian cricketers; they were given orders from up above," he added.

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Afridi added that the PCB’s demand to remove ICC match referee Andy Pycroft, who was supervising the India vs Pakistan match, is the right decision that the board can make.

“In my opinion, there was no sportsman spirit. They would once again be shamed in front of the world. I think our stance was bang on. Our PCB chairman has taken the right stand. Overall, it’s outstanding,” added Afridi.