Revealed: Can India Be Punished For Not Shaking Hands With Pakistan In Asia Cup? | Cricket News

India’s refusal to shake the hands of Pakistan players after beating them by seven wickets in the 2025 Asia Cup on Sunday has unfurled into a massive controversy.

Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema has officially lodged a complaint to match referee Andy Pycroft, calling India’s behavior ‘against the spirit of sports’. Simultaneously, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) demanding Pycroft’s removal from the tournament, accusing him of going against the international body’s Code of Conduct.

India would feel their decision to not engage with Pakistan — the home of the terrorists who killed 26 Indians in Pahalgam in April — throughout the match was justified. Later, Suryakumar Yadav also dedicated the seven-wicket win to the victims and the Indian armed forces who had retaliated with Operation Sindoor in Pakistan.

However, the ball is in the ICC’s court now. Can the international body punish the Indian team?

The spirit of cricket has always been a contentious matter in the sport. Some believe it is needless moral hogwash, while others think it’s important to maintain the culture of the sport.

But the ICC’s Code of Conduct’s law 2.1.1 considered ‘Conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game’ punishable by a Level 1 offense. These are decided by the match referee, who in this case is Pycroft.

“Article 2.1.1 is intended to cover all types of conduct of a minor nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game and which is not specifically and adequately covered by the specific offences set out elsewhere in this Code of Conduct. The spirit of the game may be defined by reference to the Preamble to the Laws of Cricket and involves respect for, amongst others, (a) the role of the umpires and (b) the game and its traditional values,” the ICC’s official Code of Conduct document says.

Any conduct that ‘brings the game into disrepute’ can also be considered a Level 1 offense. However, these laws have a subjective tinge, and the referees and the ICC make the final call on them.

If they were to decide that any Indian player was in breach of this, they could issue punishments. These range from an official reprimand to up to 50% of the player’s match fee, and the allocation of one or two demerit points.