Australian men’s and women’s cricketers have mocked India’s ‘no handshake’ attitude towards Pakistan during the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, playfully suggesting humorous alternatives to the traditional handshake.
Players including Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Alyssa Healy playfully joked about the controversy in a video shared by Kayo Sports, which has since been deleted.
In the clip, the presenters humorously pointed out India’s avoidance of traditional greetings.
“We all know India is coming. But we have identified one critical weakness,” said one presenter, while another added: “We know they are not big fans of the traditional greeting,” mimicking a handshake gesture.
Australian players joined in on the prank, with Nathan Ellis and Glenn Maxwell attempting a fake fist-and-palm gesture. Women’s captain Alyssa Healy further teased by wiggling her fingers in a playful gesture.
Spinner Sophie Molineux then used the ‘Italian salute’, traditionally an insulting gesture, followed by the raising of the middle finger. Mitchell Marsh suggested the “finger in the ice cream cup” as an alternative to the handshake, while other players added humorous gestures such as “healing hands” and “salt on the popcorn.”
Hazlewood jokingly asked, “What about the shooter?” which led to laughter from the entire team.
Although the original video has been removed from Kayo Sports, clips continue to circulate online.
The incident revived memories of the “handshake saga” of the 2025 ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup, where similar controversies occurred six times, including during the group stage, Super Four and the final.
Earlier in the tournament, the Indian team consistently avoided handshakes with Pakistan after the match and went straight to the dressing room even after winning all three group stage matches.
In one instance, Pakistani players waited on the field for a traditional handshake, after which the Indian team immediately left.
Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema had filed an official complaint about India’s conduct, citing mistreatment by match referee Andy Pycroft.
The PCB later confirmed that Pycroft described the incident as a “miscommunication” and apologized. The ICC has expressed its willingness to investigate the recurring incidents.
Indian media had also reported before the Super Four clash that the team planned to maintain a ‘no handshake’ policy with Pakistan.
Looking ahead, India will travel to Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is from October 19 before returning home to host South Africa for a series of two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is.
