FOR A FOURTH consecutive Sunday, Team India cricketers have been instructed to continue the no-handshake stance that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had initiated and enforced for the controversy-marred Asia Cup 2025.
The same script will be on show at the first Indo-Pak clash in the ongoing ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, which is scheduled for Sunday, October 05 at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium.
For the record, India is the host nation for this edition of the World Cup (except for games that involve arch-enemy Pakistan, in which case Sri Lanka will be performing host duties).
Sportstar was the first to confirm what many had feared – that the political theatre that overshadowed all else during the Asia Cup would continue into this tournament as well. Indian players and team management have been informed about the decision by the BCCI, cricket board Sources told the sports magazine.
The Women’s World Cup guidelines set by the International Cricket Council do not make handshakes between players compulsory, and action can only be taken against teams or players if their conduct doesn’t uphold the spirit of the game.
Since the Champions Trophy earlier this year, India and Pakistan have been playing at neutral venues during ICC and ACC events. According to an agreement, such arrangements will continue until 2027.
When BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was confronted point blank on the vexed matter during BBC’s Stumped podcast, he said: “India will play that match against Pakistan in Colombo, and all cricket protocols will be followed. I can only assure that whatever is in the MCC regulations of cricket (more ICC guidelines) – that will be done.”
The sour taste that the recent Asia Cup left among sports purists is still fresh, what with the tournament ended in acrimony after Team India refused to accept their winner’s trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who is not just the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, but more importantly Pakistan’s interior minister. The powerful politician, for his part, refused to cede the handing over of the trophy to anyone else. The standoff not only caused a 90-minute delay to the post-match presentation, at which no trophy was ultimately lifted, but also generated negative headlines about the game around the world.
One major plus going for the people who matter in the running of this edition of Women’s ODI World Cup is that the possibility of the Pakistani team making any sort of serious mark in the tournament is on the low side. So, looking strictly at the form book, Sunday’s game will more than likely be a one-off. A single India-Pakistan game that only takes place in the preliminary round is more than manageable, would be how cricket’s top bosses view this. Or so SportzPower believes.
