‘I was not desperate’: Salman Ali Agha breaks silence on India’s handshake against Pakistan | Cricket News –

Salman Ali Agha has reopened the debate over the 2025 AFC Asian Cup handshake controversy, revisiting an incident that attracted widespread attention during last year’s tournament. The incident occurred when India captain Suryakumar Yadav chose not to engage in the customary pre-match handshake with his Pakistani counterpart. The decision was considered a gesture of solidarity with the victims of the accident

Pahalgam terrorist attack

Which claimed the lives of 26 people, and came at a time when tensions escalated after that

Sindor process

.The situation was not limited to Iram. The Indian players avoided shaking hands after matches as well, and maintained this approach in all three encounters

Pakistan

including the final, which India won for the whole time. The issue has resurfaced now after Agha spoke about it during an appearance on the ARY podcast.

He revealed that the initial interactions between the two sides were normal. He added: “Before the tournament, a press conference was held, during which a handshake took place.

While taking pictures for the trophy, we also shook hands. So, when I went to do the draw, I was completely normal. Of course, I had an idea that things wouldn’t be normal, but I didn’t think it would escalate to the point where there wouldn’t be a handshake. “I wasn’t expecting that,” the Aga said.Agha also indicated that he was informed in advance of the decision. “I went to draw the draw with my media director, Naeem Bhai. The match referee – I don’t remember his name – took me aside and said: ‘They’re going to do this; “There will be no handshakes, so please keep that in mind.”

I said: If there is no handshake, so be it. It’s not like I was desperate for a handshake. This is how it happened; He told me beforehand that there would be no handshake.

He added: “After the match ended, we lost, and we were walking towards their suite to shake hands, but they had not shaken hands yet.”Looking at the broader impact, Agha stressed the responsibility that comes with being a public figure.

“I’ve said it many times, I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. When we represent a nation – and I play for Pakistan – people watch me. Kids will notice it, and if it happens in a club game the next day, it will be because of me in some way, because I’m part of it. When you’re a role model, I think doing those things is important,” he said.The debate extended beyond field interactions. During the Asia Cup final presentation after the match, the Indian team refused to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and heads the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The players kept their distance, reflecting unease about his role and his previous statements regarding India.The ceremony faced delays, and although individual awards were given out, the trophy delivery did not take place in full. Naqvi eventually left the field with the trophy, which India has yet to officially receive despite winning the tournament. India later maintained the same no-handshake approach during the T20 World Cup, suggesting that the situation was not a one-time decision but part of an ongoing situation.