Kayo video mocking handshake pulled ahead of series

A promotional video by sports streaming service Kayo where Australian players mocked their Indian counterparts for not shaking hands was produced before India’s victory in a fiery fallout to last month’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan.

Indian media have widely reported that the since-deleted video, filmed with satirists The Grade Cricketer, was produced in response to Indian players refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani opponents because of the political tensions between the two countries, in particular the aftermath of the terror attack in the northern Indian state of Pahalgam, and the subsequent strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Ahead of India’s white-ball tour of Australia, which begins in Perth on Sunday, the video included players such as Australian women’s captain Alyssa Healy, Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sophie Molineux and Grace Harris engaging in light-hearted banter over alternative ways for the Indians to shake hands. Australia’s women’s side is currently on the subcontinent competing in the one-day international World Cup, and was already there at the time of the Asia Cup controversy.

But this masthead can reveal the video was filmed on either September 2 or 3 – almost four weeks before the Asia Cup final, on September 28. In the video, there is no direct reference to that match, nor India’s fourth Test against England in July.

Loading

Sources with knowledge of the video said it had been directed at the spat between India and England after a dramatic fourth Test at Manchester when England captain Ben Stokes was incensed after Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused to shake hands and end what was to be a drawn Test early during the final drinks break on day five.

Jadeja and Sundar were nearing their centuries, and wanted to bat on. They did reach their centuries, but only after Stokes turned to his part-time bowlers, and England players vented their displeasure at the tourists.

In the video, host Sam Perry says: “We all know India is on its way. But we’ve identified one critical weakness. We know that they’re not huge fans of the traditional greeting [handshake], so we can throw them off before we’ve even bowled a ball.”

The video was published this week. There was immediate backlash on social media from Indian fans, prompting Kayo Sports to quickly remove the video to avoid any further trouble ahead of India’s tour.

Loading

There has been private fallout from the video, coming at a time when The Grade Cricketer has partnered with Foxtel, the owner of Kayo Sports. A spokesperson for Kayo and Foxtel declined to comment.

A source close to The Grade Cricketer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the video was owned by Kayo, with The Grade Cricketer only contributing as part of its social media contract with the streaming giant.

Perry, the source said, did not direct, script or edit the video. The source said a Kayo employee gave The Grade Cricketer the questions to be asked, and the reaction required. Perry did not ask the cricketers any questions.

The Grade Cricketer watched the video for the first time when there was a collaboration with Kayo on Instagram, which Perry and his team accepted as part of their contractual obligations.

The source said Perry and his team only found out the video had been deleted when they had been abused on social media by Indian cricket fans.

Marsh, Australia’s one-day international captain, said on Saturday he was unaware of any controversy involving the video.

“I actually haven’t seen the ad, so I don’t know what’s blowing up,” Marsh said in Perth.

Cricket Australia declined to comment. The Board of Control for Cricket in India was also contacted for comment.

Click here to read article