Not Handshake Row, Report Claims Pakistan Didn't Attend Post-Game Ceremony Due To This Ex-India Star
After the Indian cricket team's no-handshake gesture, Pakistan cricket team captain Salman Ali Agha did not attend the Asia Cup 2025 post-match ceremony
- Pak captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the Asia Cup post-match ceremony after loss vs India
- General perception was that it this was due to Indian players refusing to shake hands with Pakistan stars
- A report has now claimed Agha gave the ceremony a miss due to the presence of Sanjay Manjrekar as the anchor
After the Indian cricket team's no-handshake gesture, Pakistan cricket team captain Salman Ali Agha did not attend the Asia Cup 2025 post-match ceremony on Sunday. The general perception was that it this was due to what happened at the close of the match when India captain Suryakumar Yadav walked off the field without shaking hands with any of the Pakistan players. However, a report has now claimed that it was not because of the no-handshake row, but because Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha did not attend the post-match ceremony as it was being conducted by former India star Sanjay Manjrekar. The report in RevSportz claimed Pakistan "weren't comfortable." However, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi did come and collect his award.
Meanwhile, the ICC on Tuesday rejected Pakistan's demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the panel of officials for the ongoing Asia Cup, despite the PCB's reported threat of a pullout that would cause heavy financial loss to the country. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had filed a complaint with the ICC alleging that Pycroft asked its captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav at the time of the toss in their Asia Cup match on Sunday.
"Late last night, ICC sent a reply to PCB stating that Pycroft won't be removed and their plea has been rejected," an ICC source told PTI.
The 69-year-old Zimbabwean is due to officiate Pakistan's final group stage game against the UAE on Wednesday.
Pakistan cancelled a scheduled pre-match press conference here on Tuesday, with team sources saying that it was done to "avoid" questions on the widely reported threat of a pullout.
Pakistan team manager Naved Cheema had also filed a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council alleging that it was on Pycroft's insistence that team sheets weren't exchanged between the two captains on Sunday, as is the norm.
After the match, which India won by seven wickets, Suryakumar and his men did not exchange handshakes with their cross-border rivals as a mark of respect for the Pahalgam terror attack victims and their families.
A pullout is not an easy decision for Pakistan, which stands to lose up to USD 16 million from the Asian Cricket Council's revenue if it goes ahead with such a move.
India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team