Dubai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opted to ignore a request from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to keep politics out of junior-level cricket, as the India U-19 team continued its “no-handshake policy” during their Group A match against Pakistan at the U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
The highly anticipated showdown, the respective second Group A match for both teams, saw India captain Ayush Mhatre refrain from shaking hands with his Pakistani counterpart, Farhan Yousuf, during the toss at the ICC Cricket Academy. After the toss, which was delayed by nearly half an hour due to rain and resulted in the match being reduced to 49 overs per side, Pakistan skipper Yousuf chose to bowl first. Mhatre reportedly stood behind Yousuf without offering a handshake, and Yousuf passed the microphone back without making eye contact before walking away.
This incident marks the sixth time an Indian team has refused to exchange customary handshakes with Pakistan in an ICC or ACC tournament since September. Ahead of the U-19 clash, the ICC had urged India to abandon the stance, expressing a desire to avoid political overtones taking center stage in youth cricket and expecting players to follow normal protocols of sportsman spirit.
While the ICC preferred to keep politics out of the tournament, the governing body ultimately left the final decision to the BCCI. Sources indicate that the Indian board maintained its firm stance, instructing team manager Anand Datar on how to proceed, even though the players themselves were not directly briefed. A BCCI official noted that should the policy be continued, the match referee needed to be informed in advance.
The “no-handshake” policy was first enforced in September during the Senior Men’s Asia Cup as a mark of solidarity with the Indian Army and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. The trend began when senior captain Suryakumar Yadav declined to shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha. The stance was subsequently mirrored by the India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur during the Women’s ODI World Cup and by Jitesh Sharma in the Rising Stars Asia Cup T20 tournament.
Both India and Pakistan entered the Dubai contest with momentum, having secured dominant victories in their opening fixtures. India crushed hosts United Arab Emirates by 234 runs, while Pakistan registered a significant 297-run win over Malaysia.