A new revelation has emerged regarding the controversy surrounding the non-handshaking incident between India and Pakistan after their match in the Asia Cup 2025. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had previously dismissed an official due to the incident. The reason behind this action has now come to light, pointing to a significant oversight. The official is accused of failing to inform Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, about the full details of the situation before the match, which led to the escalation of the controversy. This led to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi ordering the suspension of Usman Wahla, the Director of Cricket Operations at the board.
The match between India and Pakistan, part of Group A, took place on September 14th at the Dubai stadium. India won the match by 7 wickets. Following the game, the Indian team did not shake hands with the Pakistani cricketers, which caused a considerable uproar. The new details suggest the whole drama around the non-handshake was due to the Director of Cricket Operations, Usman Wahla. He had not provided any information to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha about the tournament rules.
According to reports, Wahla should have informed Salman Agha about the rule regarding not shaking hands beforehand, which could have prevented the situation from escalating. A PCB official stated, “When the two captains didn’t shake hands, Wahla should have issued a statement at the time of the toss.”
This led to Mohsin Naqvi ordering Usman Wahla’s suspension. Pakistan is scheduled to play its final league match on September 17th.
Pakistan’s final league match is against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 17th. Richie Richardson may replace Andy Pycroft as match referee, although this has not been officially confirmed. Pakistan must win their final league match to secure a spot in the Super-4. India has already qualified for the Super-4, having won their two matches by a large margin.