Pakistan captain Salman Agha: Not shaking hands is not good for cricket

Amidst the souring relations with India, on and off the cricket field, Pakistan captain Salman Agha said that he had never seen or even heard of two teams not shaking hands after a match, and that the Indian team’s decision to refrain from the post-match customary handshake in the ongoing Asia Cup was not good for the sport.

“I have been playing cricket since 2007, when I played at the Under-16 level. I have never seen two teams not shaking hands. My father is a huge fan of cricket. He also never told me anything about two teams playing a match but not shaking hands,” Agha said in the pre-match press conference in Dubai on Saturday, on the eve of the final against India.

“India and Pakistan have also played before, even amidst worse relations, but even then, their used to be handshakes. Not shaking hands is not good for cricket,” he added.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his players did not shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts before or after the two games between the sides in this tournament. The frosty relations between the neighbours come in the wake of the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terrorist attack in April and India’s retaliatory military strikes in May.

Tempers have flared on both sides of the border since. However, Agha said he wouldn’t rein in the emotions and aggression of his players after Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan’s on-field gestures during the match against India last Sunday caused a stir, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to intervene.

“Every individual has their own way. If somebody wants to be aggressive on the ground, then why not? If you take the aggression away from fast bowlers, then they have nothing left. Every player knows how to deal with his emotions. As a captain, I give my players a free hand, as long as they don’t disrespect anybody or the country we are representing,” Agha explained.

While Farhan’s gunshot celebration after scoring a half-century was deemed to be in bad taste, Rauf’s gestures implying the downing of aircraft were also seen in poor light.

Haris was reportedly fined 30 per cent of his match fees for breaching the ICC code of conduct, while Farhan was let off with a warning by match referee Richie Richardson.

Amidst reports that India denied a captains’ photoshoot with the trophy on Saturday, Agha said that his team would follow the protocol. “The rest is up to them,” he added.

While the photoshoot did not take place on Saturday, the formality could he held ahead of the toss on Sunday, provided India agrees.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi will attend the summit clash, and hand over the trophy to the winning team. “I’m excited to witness a great final and look forward to handing over the trophy to the winners tomorrow,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in an ACC press release.

India and Pakistan will lock horns for the first time in the final of the Asia Cup, a continental showpiece that was first held in 1984.

Published on Sep 27, 2025