A controversy recently erupted after Indian cricketers refrained from shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts following a match . Responding to the debate, a senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) clarified the matter . The official stated that there is no mandatory rule in the cricket rulebook requiring players to shake hands with opponents.
He explained that the handshake tradition is merely a goodwill gesture, not a binding regulation. “When such a rule does not exist, the Indian team is under no obligation to extend a handshake, especially with rivals with whom relations are strained,” the official said.
The clarification comes amid heightened scrutiny over Indo-Pak cricketing ties, which often reflect the tense diplomatic atmosphere between the two nations. The BCCI’s stance underlines that gestures of courtesy are voluntary and cannot be enforced when political sensitivities are involved.
