India defeated Pakistan by 7 wickets in Dubai in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025
Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with his PAK counterpart at the toss
PAK management reportedly lodged a complaint after IND players refused handshake post-game
The India vs Pakistan handshake row in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 has taken an ugly turn in Dubai after the Men In Green lodged a protest to the ICC Match Referee Andy Pycroft, as per The Times of India.
The report further states that Pycroft had instructed PAK captain Salman Ali Agha to avoid shaking hands at the toss with Suryakumar Yadav however Pakistan management have lodged a complaint against India for their unsportsmanlike behavior.
"The match referee Andy Pycroft had asked captain Salman Ali Agha, at the time of the toss, not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart. The Pakistan team management has lodged a protest, calling the behaviour against the spirit of sports. Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match presentation in protest against the behaviour of the Indian team, as the ceremony host was also an Indian," said a statement by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Pakistan Coach Mike Hesson Left Fuming
As soon as Suryakumar Yadav hit the winning runs, the Indian players left the field in a rush towards the dressing room. This did not go down well with the Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson, who vented his anger in the post-match presentation. Hesson revealed that Salman Ali Agha did not appear for the presentation due to the incident.
"I think it's just the flow-on effect of the fact that we were obviously keen to engage and shake hands at the end of the match. That didn't happen. That was pretty much the end of it.
"Obviously, we were ready to shake hands at the end of the game. We were disappointed that our opposition didn't do that. We sort of went over there to shake hands and they were already going to the changing room. That was a disappointing way for the match to play. In a match that we were disappointed in the way we played, but certainly we were willing to go and shake hands," said Hesson in a post-match press conference.
India won the match by seven wickets in Dubai after Pakistan were restricted to 127/9 in 20 overs by the Indian bowlers.
