Following the precedent set by the Indian men’s team during their triumphant Asia Cup campaign, the Indian women’s cricket team has now been directed by the BCCI not to shake hands with Pakistan’s players during their upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup league clash in Colombo on Sunday.
According to sources, the directive was clearly communicated just before the women cricketers departed for Sri Lanka.
“The team won’t be shaking hands with the Pakistan side during the World Cup. The board fully stands by the players,” a BCCI official revealed.
The men’s team had faced Pakistan three times during the Asia Cup in the UAE, including the final, where India clinched the trophy with a five-wicket win. Now, the women are following the same stance.
Their upcoming game against Pakistan will be their second of the tournament after starting their campaign with a win over Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday.
This clash will mark the fourth consecutive Sunday of India–Pakistan encounters across men’s and women’s cricket, each taking place against a politically charged backdrop.
The two boards have already agreed that all matches between them will only be staged at neutral venues, underlining the sensitivity of the rivalry.
The recent Asia Cup was overshadowed by references to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, and to India’s Operation Sindoor against terror camps in PoK.
The political tension spilled into cricketing protocol too: after winning the final, the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqv, who also doubles as Pakistan’s interior minister and PCB chief.
Adding to the controversy, the BCCI later accused Naqvi of withholding the trophy and medals. At an ACC meeting on Tuesday, Indian officials demanded clarity on when the awards would be delivered.
With no answers forthcoming, they walked out midway.
Naqvi, however, hit back on social media the next day. He denied reports that he had apologised, declaring: “Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so. As ACC chairman, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day.
If they truly want it, they can come to the ACC office and collect it from me.” His posts on X (formerly Twitter) have been withheld in India.
For many cricket lovers, the repeated provocations and the wider political climate leave no room for gestures of goodwill.
The sentiment is loud and clear: “Enough is enough. We cannot keep shaking hands with those who are plotting against India 24/7.”
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