ACC should it take disciplinary measures against India? Report claims a big on the line “no handshake”

India’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday should have been remembered for the dominant cricket, but the fallout has been anything but. The absence of the customary post-match handshake has snowballed into a full-blown controversy, with reports suggesting that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) could step in with disciplinary action.

PCB lodges complaint after handshake snub

After the game, the Indian players, led by Suryakumar Yadav, walked straight off the field without greeting the opposition. While Suryakumar dedicated the huge win to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Pakistan camp saw it as a slight. Coach Mike Hesson revealed that his players were left waiting on the field, while captain Salman Ali Agha even skipped the presentation in protest.

On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing the Indians of disrespect and also questioning the role of match referee Andy Pycroft. According to the PCB, Pycroft had advised the Indian side against the handshake, something they claim was unfair to their players. The complaint went a step further, demanding Pycroft’s removal from the remainder of the tournament. However, it looks like ICC has rejected PCB’s plea.

ACC and ICC monitoring developments

A report in Cricket Pakistan claimed that both the ICC and the ACC are monitoring the matter closely, with the continental body weighing “possible disciplinary action” against the Indian team. While nothing official has been announced, the possibility of fines or warnings cannot be ruled out. Having said that, there’s no written rule under ICC that a team needs to shake hands after the game. Hence, considering the huge geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, ICC or ACC can avoid making things complicated.

Suryakumar, meanwhile, made his team’s stance clear. “We are aligned with the Indian government and the BCCI,” he said at the post-match press conference, showing that the call was not a personal one but an institutional directive. With Pakistan needing to beat the UAE on Wednesday to qualify, the two sides could meet again in the Super Four clash in Dubai this Sunday. There is also the looming possibility of a third face-off in the final on September 28, should results align.