DUBAI:
The fate of Pakistan’s campaign at the Asia Cup will be decided after a high-profile Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) meeting taking place in Islamabad on Tuesday night.
The handshake controversy started on Sunday as the neighbours met for the first time since a military conflict between them in May, but tensions simmered after the match as India’s players left the field without shaking hands.
The decision has not been taken as yet whether Pakistan will boycott the Asia Cup or continue to participate.
The PCB meeting is being presided over by PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi.
The incident has sparked outrage in Pakistan, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodging a formal protest and captain Salman Ali Agha boycotting his post-match media duties.
In the meantime, the PCB demanded an action against match referee Andy Pycroft, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly turned down the PCB’s request to remove the official from the ongoing Asia Cup, following controversy where India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets.
The PCB also took action against Director International Usman Wahla over the recent handshake controversy, citing his failure to manage the situation during the match.
On Tuesday, Pakistan cancelled the pre-match press conference ahead of their fixture with the United Arab Emirates that is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
The Pakistan team management chose to skip the press conference due to the heavy presence of the Indian media. The management anticipated questions about the boycott and, therefore, chose to forego the session with the journalists to avoid any further controversy.
Pakistan is training at the same venue as India
Pakistan is practicing for their matches at the same venue as the India team at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
The Indian team was practicing at the academy, and then Pakistan joined it later, but at a different ground to avoid a repeat of incidents like the one on Sunday.
The Asia Cup matches are taking place at the Dubai International Stadium and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
If PCB chose not to boycott, Pakistan will be playing their next match against UAE at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday, September 17.
Disciplinary action
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is considering disciplinary action against the Indian team after their players avoided shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the Asia Cup clash in Dubai.
A final decision will be taken after reviewing all related incidents, with fines on Indian players being a likely outcome.
After the match, Indian players refused to exchange handshakes with Pakistanis, while at the toss, the captains also refrained from the customary gesture. Pakistan’s head coach Mike Hesson strongly criticized the behavior, terming it against the spirit of the game.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav further stirred controversy by linking the team’s victory to political statements.
“We stand with the victims of the Pahalgam attack and their families. We dedicate today’s win to our armed forces,” he said.
In response, Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a formal protest with the match referee, calling the incident “a violation of sportsmanship.” He also revealed that it was the referee who had requested the captains not to shake hands at the toss.
In protest, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha did not attend the post-match presentation ceremony.
Coach Hesson defended the reaction of the Pakistan camp, stating, “What the Indian team did was inappropriate. Pakistan’s response was natural.”
The controversy has now drawn the attention of the ACC, which is weighing possible disciplinary action against the Indian team.