New Delhi: The rivalry between India and Pakistan has become more intense in recent years. India has always dominated Pakistan on the battlefield, but now the focus has shifted to other things. The Indian players refused to shake hands with the Pakistani players after the match, which caused a lot of controversy.
The problem started during last year’s Asian Cup. India captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistan players. The decision was related to expressing respect for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and support to the Indian Army following Operation Sindoor. Some former overseas players criticized India, but many former Indian players supported the move and said cricket should remain the main focus.
After India and Pakistan played in the T20 World Cup, the topic was brought up again and once again the captains of the two countries did not shake hands. Former England players Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell and David Lloyd discuss this on The Cricket Podcast.
Phil Tufnell said Pakistan is not on the same level as India at the moment. “I dare say, Pakistan versus India, it’s a mismatch, isn’t it?” he said, adding that India looked much stronger.
Michael Vaughan also shared his views and said Pakistan looked nervous against India. “I mean, that’s what it looks like to me. It seems to me that every time Pakistan plays India, they get intimidated by India on the cricket field,” he said. He also found the handshake issue sad and said: “The whole situation is terrible, isn’t it? You know, it’s just sad. Not shaking hands on the cricket field.”
Alastair Cook sees things differently. He questioned whether the tension was real or just aimed at the public. He asked: “But aren’t they talking behind closed doors? I read somewhere that everyone is chatting away.”
He added, “Like, it’s just a show, isn’t it? On the actual court, they didn’t shake hands, but behind closed doors, they were all talking and were fine.”
