Pakistan skip pre-match presser before Asia Cup showdown with India

DUBAI: Pakistan’s cricket team on Saturday pulled out of its scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes Asia Cup Super Four clash against India at the Dubai International Stadium.

The decision was officially confirmed today, although the team management gave no reason.

According to the details, a Pakistani player or a member of the support staff was supposed to address the media at 6 pm local time, but it was called off. The reason behind the cancellation is not yet known.

Pakistan had also skipped a pre-match press conference before their group-stage match against the United Arab Emirates earlier in the tournament. This marks the second time in the Asia Cup 2025 that the team has withdrawn from a scheduled media briefing.

The latest move comes in the backdrop of the “handshake controversy” that followed Pakistan’s earlier clash with India, which attracted considerable attention both on and off the field.

India won the September 14 group match by seven wickets in Dubai and afterwards refused to shake hands with their opponents, angering Pakistan.

It was the first meeting between the neighbours since a four-day armed conflict in May left more than 70 people dead.

The Pakistan Cricket Board lodged a protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC), saying that match referee Andy Pycroft had told skipper Salman Agha not to approach Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav for a handshake at the toss.

The PCB demanded that Pycroft be removed from their matches and threatened to withdraw from the eight-team T20I competition.

Their last group game was held up for an hour before the PCB said Pycroft had apologised, and the match, with the Zimbabwean in charge, eventually went ahead.

According to the PCB, Pycroft described the incident as a result of miscommunication. The ICC has indicated its willingness to conduct a formal inquiry into the alleged breach of the code of conduct.

Pakistan beat the hosts, the United Arab Emirates, to qualify for the next stage, the Super Fours, and set up another meeting with India in Dubai.

Indian media reported that the team plans to stick to its no-handshake policy for Sunday's clash.

Simmering tensions

Because of fraught political ties, nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan only meet at neutral venues during multi-team tournaments.

Tensions soared ahead of the Asia Cup after the two countries engaged in their worst conflict since 1999. The hostilities in May left more than 70 people dead in missile, drone and artillery exchanges, before a ceasefire.

The conflict was triggered by an April attack on civilians in Pahalgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir that New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing, a charge Islamabad denies.

India resisted calls to boycott the first Pakistan match.

A potential third India-Pakistan showdown looms if both sides qualify for the final on September 28 in Dubai.