Follow UsThe Asia Cup 2025 group stage clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai might have been a one-sided in favour of the Men in Blue, but there was no shortage of drama. Post the contest, the Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, and all hell broke loose after that.
Pakistan’s ‘protest’ began with skipper Salman Ali Agha refusing to attend the post-match presentation ceremony, and then the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft for ‘siding with India’ and letting the teams go without a handshake. A furious PCB wanted Pycroft removed from their clash against UAE and threatened a boycott, and things escalated to the point where the match had to be delayed by an hour as the PCB and ICC sorted things out behind the scenes.
The whole ‘Handshake Gate’ and the drama after it has completely taken the attention away from on-field proceedings in Asia Cup 2025, and it’s so far proven to be a competition to forget.
Amidst the drama, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ripped into Pakistan and PCB for their behaviour, and expressed how baffled he was over everything that’s unfolded in the last week.
“India informed the match referee in advance — this is our decision, and we will follow it. That’s it. After all this drama, you lost the match. So, what are you complaining about? You didn’t lose because we didn’t shake hands. Please go and find out what you can actually improve," Ashwin said, reported News18.
“If no handshake was your problem with India, why were you looking for an answer to that problem in the UAE game? Why did you have to make Andy Pycroft the scapegoat? He has done nothing wrong.
“He is not a schoolteacher. He’s not a principal. He can’t go and bring Surya and say, ‘Come shake hands’. That’s not his job. What exactly is Pycroft’s fault here?”
Pakistan accused India of acting against the spirit of the game, but Ashwin came to the defence of his former teammates and insisted that the players were merely following a BCCI directive.
“Whether it’s a corporate office, a government firm, or a cricket team — when there’s an organisational directive, you follow it. Our players were clear: they were here to represent India, and they followed protocol. That’s our side of the story. The matter should end there,” Ashwin said.
“You filed a complaint against India, and when the dust settles, you’re saying Pycroft apologised? If I were Andy Pycroft, you would be apologising to me. What would I even be apologising for? ‘I’m sorry that Suryakumar Yadav didn’t shake your hand’? Really," he concluded.
Tempers could flare in the Super Four clash between India and Pakistan later today, which will be played once again in Dubai.