Colombo, Sri Lanka – Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has declined to confirm whether his team will participate in a traditional pre-match handshake with India ahead of their highly anticipated T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, adding another layer of complexity to a fixture already steeped in political and sporting rivalry.
The uncertainty stems from a decision made by India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, following a terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025. Yadav announced during the Asia Cup in Dubai that the Indian team would forgo the customary handshake with Pakistan as a mark of respect for the victims and in solidarity with the Indian Army during ‘Operation Sindoor,’ according to reports from Times Now, and Crictoday.
Agha addressed the issue cautiously, stating, “We will witness about it tomorrow,” when questioned about the potential for a handshake during the toss or after the match, as reported by Tribune India. He emphasized the importance of upholding the spirit of cricket, saying, “I expect the game should play in the spirit it has always been played since its inception.”
The upcoming match is particularly significant given the historical imbalance in World Cup encounters between the two nations. Agha acknowledged Pakistan’s past struggles against India in World Cups, but dismissed the relevance of past results. “Obviously, We don’t have a decent record against them in World Cups. But whenever you reach to play a new match, it’s a new day, a new match. And you have to play good cricket to win. So you can’t change history. You can learn from it. We learned from it. And we’ll endeavor to do a good performance tomorrow and win the match,” he said.
Beyond the diplomatic tension surrounding the handshake, Agha similarly provided updates on team matters. He expressed hope for the fitness of Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma, stating, “I hope Abhishek Sharma plays tomorrow. I really hope he’s recovering well. We want to play against the best.” He also addressed concerns regarding the bowling action of Pakistan’s spinner, Usman Tariq, confirming that Tariq has been cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on two separate occasions and does not share concerns about scrutiny of his action, as reported by Times of India.
Agha also downplayed any perceived emphasis on the role of spin bowlers in Colombo, expressing confidence in both his team’s spin and pace attack. “the spinner dominates here, but I think the speedy bowler will have roles here as well. Because fast bowling is such a skill that you cannot write off anywhere. His role is always there. So I think he will have a role here as well. We have a lot of spinners, but we also have fast bowlers, who we can use them if required,” he explained.
As the match approaches, the question of whether the traditional handshake will occur remains unanswered, leaving the focus on the field and the potential for a compelling contest between two cricketing powerhouses.