Pakistan's T20 cricket captain Salman Ali Agha has declared that he will leave it entirely up to India's players to decide whether they shake hands with his team before and after their highly anticipated T20 World Cup match. This statement comes against a backdrop of severe political and military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighboring nations, which were on the brink of all-out war as recently as May 2025.
First Meeting Since Acrimonious Asia Cup Clash
The upcoming cricket match, scheduled for Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, marks the first encounter between the teams since a contentious clash last September at the Asia Cup tournament in the United Arab Emirates, which India won. During that previous event, players from both sides notably refused to engage in the traditional handshake, highlighting the strained relations.
Captain Agha Emphasizes Spirit of the Game
In a press conference, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha emphasized the importance of playing cricket in the true spirit of the sport. He stated, "The game should be played in real spirit, the way it has been played since it started. The rest is up to them (India), what they want to do." Agha further added, "We are here to play cricket. We will play good cricket. We will take all those calls tomorrow. We will see tomorrow (Sunday)."
Heightened Tensions Impact Bilateral Series
The heightened political tensions have significantly impacted cricket relations, with the two sides not playing a bilateral series in years. The situation escalated dramatically last May when the nations clashed in the worst fighting in decades following a terror attack in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists. This incident led to days of missile strikes between the countries until a ceasefire was brokered by the US administration.
Pakistan's Initial Boycott Threat
Pakistan's government had initially threatened to boycott Sunday's match after Bangladesh was kicked out of the World Cup for refusing to play matches in India, citing security concerns. It was only after intense discussions with the International Cricket Council that Pakistan finally agreed to participate. India has not traveled to Pakistan for cricket since 2008, and Pakistan visited India for the 50-over World Cup in 2023, but since then, they have played ICC tournaments at neutral venues.
Historical Record and Future Outlook
India holds a dominant record against Pakistan in T20 cricket, having defeated them 12 times in the 16 games they have played. Reflecting on this, Captain Agha acknowledged, "We don’t have a good record against them in World Cups. But whenever you come to play a new match, it’s a new day and you have to play good cricket to win. You can't change history. You can learn from it."
The match is set to proceed as planned, with all eyes on whether the traditional handshake will occur, symbolizing either a thaw in relations or the continuation of diplomatic frostiness on the cricket field.
