Pakistan skipper Salman Agha did not turn up for the presentation ceremony after his side’s Asia Cup 2025 match against India, and head coach Mike Hesson later told the media that the former’s absence was a “cause and effect after what happened” after the match.
The Indian team players were not seen shaking hands with their Pakistan counterparts after the match as teams usually do after the conclusion of a contest.
In a post on X, PTI also reported that Hesson said his side had wanted to shake hands with the Indian side, and was disappointed that the opposition did not want to.
There was also no handshake between the two captains — Suryakumar and Pakistan’s Salman Agha — during the coin toss as they handed over their respective team sheets to match referee Andy Pycroft from Zimbabwe and spoke with broadcaster and former India player Ravi Shastri.
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The India-Pakistan encounter in the continental tournament has been marred by controversy since the conflict between the two neighbours in late April 2025.
The two sides ceased playing bilateral cricket in the last decade, sticking only to ACC and ICC-organised tournaments since. But, there was a renewed call to boycott all forms of cricket between the two countries after the most recent conflict.
The Union government had stated that the country would have no bilateral sporting link with Pakistan in its policy released in August.
However, India will not hesitate to play Pakistan or compete in a tournament in which the team figures if it is part of a continental or global event, the policy said.
Published on Sep 15, 2025
