Ind vs Pak, Asia Cup 2025: ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi slams India over ‘handshake row’, says ‘utterly disappointed’

Mohsin Naqvi criticised the Indian team for refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts before and after the match. He referred to it as a violation of the spirit of sportsmanship.

"Utterly disappointed by the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Let's hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace," Naqvi wrote.

Shoaib Akhtar not impressed

Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disagreement with Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates' action on refusing to shake with the Pakistani team during the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium.

Speaking on a Pakistani show after the match, Shoaib Akhtar advised players not to make cricket political and play it like a sport.

He said, as quoted by Hindustan Times, "I'm speechless. It is disheartening to see and I don't know what to say. Hats off to India. Just don't make things political. Cricket match hain isko political mat banao. Hum ne acchi statement di hai aapkee liye. Hum bohut kuchh bol sakte hai. Hoti rehte hain ladayi jhagre, ghar me bhi ho jaati hain. (Don't make a cricket match political. We have said nice things about you. We can say a lot of things about the no handshake. Fights happen, even inside your house. Forget it, move on. It is the game of cricket, shake your hands, show your grace.)"

Pakistan lodge official complaint:

Pakistan's team manager, Naveed Akram Cheema, filed an official complaint with the match referee Andy Pycroft on Monday.

Confirming the details, Hindustan Times reported that the Pakistan management formally lodged a complaint against the Indian team's actions, calling it against “the spirit of sports.”

"The Pakistani cricket team manager Naveed Akram Cheema has officially lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team, calling the behaviour against the spirit of sports," the official statement read.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared an official statement via WhatsApp, claiming that match referee Andy Pycroft had informed Pakistan skipper Salman Agha not to shake hands with Suryakumar Yadav during the toss. However, no directive was issued for the post-match formalities.

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