Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar backed India captain Suryakumar Yadav's decision not to shake hands with Pakistan captain during the toss of the Asia Cup 2025 clash at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. Notably, Team India also refused to shake hands with Pakistan after the conclusion of the clash.
After India's decision not to shake hands with Pakistan, their skipper, Salman Ali Agha, boycotted the television presentation ceremony. However, Gavaskar believes that Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav's decision not to shake hands with the opposition was a matter of personal choice.
"Sports and politics have never been separate - you only need to look back over the years to see that. I wouldn't criticise someone for taking that stance, and I wouldn't want to get into a debate about it. When you start discussing political references, you get into policies and complexities that are frankly beyond my pay grade. I don't think it made much difference anyway - people mainly wanted to hear what the winning captain had to say, not excuses from the other side," Gavaskar told India Today.
The former India captain further stated that if someone is calling you by your name and asking you to shake hands with them is too much to expect.
"I didn't actually see it myself, but ultimately it's up to each individual what they want to do. On the field there are times when people abuse you and say things that aren't acceptable. If someone has been calling you names, asking that you go and shake hands with them is too much to expect. I don't know exactly what happened on the field or whether words were exchanged, but if an individual decides not to shake hands, they are perfectly within their rights to do so," Gavaskar added.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken an aggressive stance on the incident. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi demanded the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup. He alleged the Zimbabwean official had violated the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws relating to the Spirit of Cricket.
"The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup," PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said on X.