Asia Cup 2025 / ICC gave a big blow to Pakistan, it had pleaded after losing to India

Asia Cup 2025: After the high-voltage match played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on September 14 in the Asia Cup 2025, the 'no handshake' controversy created a stir in the cricket world. In this match, India defeated Pakistan by a huge margin, but the incident of the Indian team not shaking hands with Pakistani players after the match made headlines. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took a tough stand on this issue and demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) strictly rejected this demand of the PCB, which has given another big blow to Pakistan.

Start of the controversy

During the match, at the time of the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha. After this, when the match ended, the players and support staff of the Indian team did not come to the field for a handshake. On the other hand, the Pakistani players kept waiting for the Indian team on the field, but no Indian player came to shake hands. After this, the door of the Indian dressing room was also closed. The video of this incident went viral on social media and became a topic of debate among cricket fans.

PCB's complaint

The PCB complained to the ICC, calling the incident against the spirit of the game. They claimed that match referee Andy Pycroft forbade Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha from shaking hands with the Indian captain during the toss. The PCB believed that this move was taken deliberately by India. In response, the PCB had demanded the removal of Pycroft from the post of referee.

ICC's clarification

According to a recent report by Cricbuzz, the ICC informed the PCB of its official decision last night. The ICC clarified that the on-field officials of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had already informed Pycroft that there would be no handshake at the toss. Therefore, Pycroft's decision was not inspired by India in any way. The ICC also added in its letter that there is no basis to doubt or question Pycroft.

This decision of the ICC completely rejected the complaint of the PCB. Also, it was confirmed that Andy Pycroft will play the role of referee in the last match of the group stage between Pakistan and UAE on September 17.

Reactions on social media

After the video of the 'no handshake' controversy went viral on social media, a heated debate broke out among the fans. Some fans called this behavior of the Indian team disrespectful, while others considered it part of the normal process. This incident has added a new chapter to the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry, which is already full of emotions and passion.