Kamal Ghorui
Pakistan have once again taken a swipe at India, this time through a promotional video released ahead of their upcoming T20I series against Australia, subtly revisiting the much-debated ‘handshake’ controversy. The reference stems from events following the Pahalgam terror attacks, after which Indian players refrained from shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts during several global tournaments. The issue first came into focus at the Asia Cup 2025, where India and Pakistan faced each other three times. On each occasion, India captain Suryakumar Yadav did not exchange handshakes with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, either at the toss or after the conclusion of the matches. Pakistan’s latest promo largely focuses on portraying the country as a warm and welcoming destination for Australian supporters, highlighting local hospitality. Agha himself appears briefly in the video, speaking about how guests are treated in Pakistan. However, the closing sequence has drawn attention and criticism. In the clip, an Australian tourist steps out of a car without shaking hands with the driver. He is then reminded in Hindi-Urdu, “Handshake bhool gaye aap, lagta hai padosiyon ke paas bhi ruke thay” — suggesting he may have picked up the habit from Pakistan’s “neighbours”. The line is widely seen as a direct dig at India and the earlier handshake episode. The controversy around handshakes had previously escalated to the point where Pakistan reportedly threatened to pull out of the Asia Cup midway, following a standoff with the ICC over match referee Andy Pycroft. Australia are scheduled to play three T20 Internationals in Lahore as part of their build-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. All three day-night matches will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium on January 29, January 31 and February 1. After the series, both teams will head to the World Cup, with Australia playing their group matches in India, while Pakistan will be based in Sri Lanka. This marks Australia’s first T20 tour of Pakistan since April 2022, when they last visited for a Test series and a white-ball leg.
