PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi hits back at India’s no-handshake policy, says, ‘Pakistan has no…’

Mohsin Naqvi opened up about India's no-handshake policy and said that Pakistan would be comfortable if BCCI continues with the same approach.

New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has responded to India’s no-handshake policy, stating that Pakistan would be comfortable if the BCCI continued with the same approach. Since the Asia Cup in September, neither India’s men’s nor women’s teams have participated in handshakes with Pakistan players during the officials walk or after matches. The U-19 Indian team also followed the policy during the Under-19 Asia Cup earlier this month.

“Our belief remains the same even today, and believe me, the Prime Minister himself has told me twice that we shouldn’t let politics come into all of this. From day one, our stance has been that cricket and politics should remain separate. On that day, Sarfaraz must have told you what kind of attitude was shown, and what it was like,” said Naqvi.

He added that Pakistan would respect India’s decision and ensure that both teams are treated equally whenever they face each other on the field.

“If they don’t want to shake hands, then we have no particular desire to do so either. Whatever happens, it will happen on an equal footing with India. And you will see, this approach will continue going forward. It’s not possible for them to do one thing and for us to back down – that simply won’t happen,” he added.

Tensions between the two nations intensified after the Pahalgam attack, where 26 Indian tourists were killed by militants supported by Pakistan. In response, India launched a military operation, codenamed Operation Sindoor, aimed at targeting terrorist infrastructure across the border.