"If they wanna come......": Pakistan captain speaks on no-handshake row before India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Final

The Indian team has decided not to shake hands with Pakistan cricketers in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, which they maintained in their two meetings in the tournament, and the Men in Blues are very likely to maintain it on Sunday (September 28) during the Asia Cup 2025 Final. On the eve of the Asia Cup 2025 Final, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has finally reacted to this decision. 

Asia Cup 2025 Final: India vs Pakistan - The Indian team decided not to shake hands with the Pakistan team

While the Indian team has maintained their friendly status, including shaking hands with all other teams in the Asia Cup 2025, they have decided not to shake hands with the Pakistan cricketers in the tournament as a protest against the 2025 Pahalgam attack last April, where 26 civilians were killed. 

Although the handshake isn't a compulsory gesture in any international cricket matches, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hasn't taken that incident lightly, as the board demanded the match referee's suspension by alleging that the referee took sides for the Indian team in that matter. 

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No handshakes are not good for cricket: Pakistan captain

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha feels that no handshakes are not good for cricket. He claimed that he never experienced it previously. 

In the pre-match press conference, Pakistan skipper said, “As far as handshakes are concerned, I’ve been playing professional cricket since 2007 at the under-16 level. I’ve never seen two teams not shaking hands during the match. Even my father is a big cricket fan, I’ve heard stories about the game from him. He never told me that anything like that happened in the past, that two teams playing cricket didn’t shake hands. I’ve always heard that no such thing has ever happened on a cricket field. India and Pakistan have played earlier as well when the relations between the two countries were even worse. Even then, there used to be handshakes. According to me, no handshakes are not good for cricket.”

Talking more about the no handshake row, Pakistan captain added, “They can do whatever they want, we will just follow the protocol. Rest is upto them, if they wanna come, then come and if they don’t. We can’t do anything.” 

India and Pakistan have already met twice in the Asia Cup 2025, once in the group stage and the other in the Super Fours, and on both occasions India comfortably defeated their arch-rivals. While Indian cricketers didn't shake hands with Pakistan players in both those matches, their last game was heated on the field. While Pakistan refused to attend the pre-match press conference against India at the Super Fours, they haven't repeated it before the tournament Final.