KARACHI: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar criticized the defending champions over the recent “handshake” controversy involving Pakistan during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup, saying the practice was unnecessary and against the spirit of the game.
The two arch-rivals are set to face off in the T20 World Cup 2026 clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday and fans are eagerly waiting to see if the two captains shake hands.
On social media platform X, Manjrekar expressed concern about an inappropriate trend that contradicts the long-standing sporting traditions of cricket.
“This ‘don’t shake hands’ is a stupid thing that India has started. It doesn’t deserve a nation like ours. Play or don’t play properly in the spirit of the game,” he wrote.
The absence of the customary post-match handshake continues in recent meetings between the arch-rivals.
The players from both sides have avoided traditional contact since the group-stage clash at last year’s ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai.
The issue first gained widespread attention when Suryakumar Yadav did not congratulate Agha Salman on the toss during that match.
After India secured victory, Suryakumar and teammate Shivam Dubey returned to the pavilion immediately after scoring the winning runs, fueling the debate further.
India and Pakistan have faced each other twice in the tournament – in the Super Four stage and in the final – but on both occasions the handshakes were again remarkably absent.
Also, after defeating Pakistan in the final, the Men in Blue did not receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council.
This practice is not limited to senior men’s cricket.
Similar scenes were seen during their meeting at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, as well as in under-age and emerging competitions, including the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars Championship and the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.
At the recently concluded ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup 2026, Indian captain Ayush Madre and Pakistan captain Farhan Yousuf avoided shaking hands following their match.
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