Pakistan lodges protest with ACC after India refuses to shake hands

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally lodged a protest with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) following the Indian players' refusal to shake hands after their Asia Cup clash in Dubai.

In a statement issued late Sunday night (September 14), the PCB described the Indian team's conduct as "unsporting" after their seven-wicket defeat to the Suryakumar Yadav-led side.

"Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against the Indian players' behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed unsporting and against the spirit of the game. As a mark of protest, we did not send our captain to the post-match ceremony," the PCB said.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav later clarified



that the decision to forgo the customary handshake was a gesture of solidarity with the families of victims of the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.

"Our government and BCCI, we were aligned today. Rest, we took a call," the captain, who turned 35 on Sunday, explained. "We came here just to play the game. That's the end. We gave a proper reply."

This was the first meeting between the arch-rivals on the cricket field since the Pahalgam attack and India’s subsequent 'Operation Sindoor', which targeted terror infrastructure across the border in May.

On the field, the match proved one-sided, with India dominating Pakistan in all departments to secure a comprehensive victory.