The Handshake That Never Happened. But Lot’s More Will Now
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. And when a cricketing nation chooses to indulge in politics on the playing field, the result is never one that will be met with support. And so, it happened when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart Salman Agha at the toss of the India vs Pakistan Asia cup match.
Political protests on the playing field are becoming a norm now, not just in cricket, but the world over; at award shows, on football fields and now, even Eurovision has some nations calling for a ban on participation by Israel as a protest against its occupation of Gaza, Russia has met the same fate in 2022. But calling for a ban, refusing to play or not participate in protest is one thing, and participating but refusing to acknowledge your adversary with respect, especially on a cricket playing field, one of the prime sports that is upheld for the spirit of the game, for a show of sportsmanship and respectful behaviour by both teams, is not just a loss for cricket diplomacy but for followers of the game the world over.
Especially at a time when celebrities of both nations are trying hard to move ahead, knowing that even if their respective governments might be locked in argument, they have a job to do, a duty to serve their fans – fans from both sides of the border.
You see, when Pakistanis cheer for Virat Kohli or Indians for Babar Azam, there are no TV cameras to document their joy, and if there are, luckily, the ordinary fan in the cricket stands or in cinema seats has rarely come under the establishment watchdog and is still able to express their admiration and love for genuine talent from the other side without the pressure of online trolling, or even a government ban.
But when Indian Cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav was allegedly trolled for appearing too cheerful on camera before his Pakistani counterparts at the Asia Cup 2025 captains press conference, one knew that the rocky honeymoon between these two sparring sides is about to crack under pressure, all eyes were upon them. Not only did they need to perform with the bat and ball, but also with the body language they send out before wathcful TV cameras and the entire Indian nation – catching every gaze, smile and… handshake.
But to quote Babar Azam on a previous Indian fan experience when playing in India:
“Even in our practice games, people were cheering for us. The entire stadium in Hyderabad was jam packed,” – Indian Express
Well, obviously, these Indian fans were not asked to clamp down or stop cheering lest they dent the solidarity of their nation. Cricket won and politics lost.
But that wasn’t the case last night in the India vs Pakistan cricket match where a team was put under the radar, its patriotism and duty towards the nation put to the test above all else, as opposed to its duty towards the game of cricket itself.
Refusing to shake hands with the team you play against is a grave contradiction of the values you hold dear when you step into a cricket field. These values are not just a fiction of the imagination, or Pakistanis trying to be unnecessarily conciliatory in a battle zone that spans decades, these values are laid down in a code of conduct called The Spirit of Cricket incorporated in the year 2000 by the global governing body for the game till the late 20th Century – MCC,and now by the ICC, which still relies hugely on the laws set down and interpreted by the former. Every cricketing nation today is urged and reminded to follow this code of conduct once they descend on the playing field.
These Spirit of Cricket lays down the soul of a sport such as cricket, with respect as the primary motive that rules the game, respect for your opponents, your team members, and for the laws of cricket. A blatant disregard of these laws must be met with a response that safeguards the core values of the game that all nations must respect.
And so, in retrospect, should it be Pakistan contemplating a walk away from the Asia Cup or should it be Pakistan calling for a team to be disbarred from the tournament if they cannot respect the spirit of the game they play? Although there have been rare instances in the past where opposing players have refused to shake hands with each other, the move has never been driven as a government policy, which seems to be the case thus far with the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav stating in the post match press conference:
“We took a call as we came here to only play. We gave a proper reply. We are aligned with the BCCI and the government,” Indian Cricket Team Captain Surya
Choosing to play a game professionally and as a national team representing your country means you adhere to ALL the rules of the game. The other option is to forfeit the game entirely and confess that political motivations are above choosing to play the game. But you cannot pick and choose. If you opt to play the game, you must follow all the rules. And if you refuse to follow one rule, should you be allowed to follow the others?
Safeguarding the soul of a game is sometimes more important than a single victory. The soul will rule hearts; a win will simply rule the scorecard. Fans of cricket over the years will unfortunately remember this game more for what happened off the field than what happened on it. And with just a fleeting look at the scorecard, one knows, that this will be a loss for India. The reaction from cricket lovers; from presenters to commentators, players of the game and fans from both sides of the border have already passed their verdict. It remains for the ICC to cast the die.
Pakistan’s possible withdrawal from the Asia Cup 2025 being held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi will mean a grave financial hit for sponsors. At the end of the day, if all else fails, perhaps money will save the soul of cricket. If it must come to that, so be it.
