NEW DELHI: The post-match handshake controversy in the Asia Cup escalated sharply on Monday after the Indian players declined to greet their Pakistani counterparts following Sunday's clash in Dubai.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), angered by the snub, has demanded the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, holding him accountable for the incident that has reignited tensions between the two rivals.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav defended his team's stance, clarifying that the gesture was intended as a mark of solidarity with the families of the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed by Pakistan-backed militants. His explanation came after India had already faced criticism for taking the field against Pakistan amid the heightened political climate.

The PCB, however, expressed strong displeasure over the episode. Having already lodged a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the board has now called on the ICC to step in.

The situation is further complicated by the leadership structure: PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi currently heads the ACC, while Jay Shah of India is at the helm of the ICC. It is worth noting, though, that the Asia Cup is governed by the ACC and does not fall under the ICC's jurisdiction.

"The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup," Naqvi said on 'X'.

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The PCB had earlier stated that Pycroft "asked (Pakistan) captain Salman Ali Agha, at the time of the toss, not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart."

Pakistan team manager Naved Cheema has lodged a complaint with the ACC, claiming that it was on match referee Andy Pycroft's instructions that the customary exchange of team sheets between the two captains did not take place.

While the BCCI has yet to officially respond to the PCB's accusations, it is understood that if India reach the Asia Cup final on September 28, the players are unlikely to share the presentation stage with ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who is expected to present the trophy.

Tensions were evident even before the game, with both teams deliberately avoiding interaction during the warm-up session. At the toss, instead of handing team lists to each other, the captains passed them directly to Pycroft.

"Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players' behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the sport of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony," read a PCB statement issued earlier.

India's stand, which will be discussed and debated for some time to come, was in stark contrast to the apolitical position that players tend to maintain when it comes to Pakistan.

"Together, we came here, we took a call and I feel we came here just to play the game. I think we gave the proper reply," Suryakumar replied to a PTI query when asked about the stance taken by his team.

When a Pakistani journalist asked whether the refusal to shake hands with opposition players after the seven-wicket win was "politically motivated", the skipper replied: "I feel few things, few things in life are ahead of sportsman's spirit also. We stand with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and dedicate this victory to our Armed Forces."

The sentiment was echoed by head coach Gautam Gambhir while talking to the tournament broadcaster.

It is understood that BCCI and the team management got into a huddle to discuss their stance as opposition parties in India as well as the social media erupted in protest against the match, calling it a case of putting money above the sentiments of families devastated by the Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 people in April.

Gambhir and senior players were unanimous about not shaking hands at any given time during the match. The decision wasn't an instant one and was taken after due deliberation, eventually green-lighted by senior people in the BCCI.

It must be noted that Gambhir's personal stand on playing Pakistan is quite clear -- "No sporting ties till terror activities continue on Indian soil."

It is understood that 'no handshake' is a policy decision that would be maintained throughout the course of the Asia Cup if the teams happen to meet again in a Super Four Clash next Sunday followed by a potential meeting in the final on September 28.

"Look, if you read the rule book, there is no specification about shaking hands with the opposition. It is a goodwill gesture and a sort of convention not law that is followed globally across the sporting spectrum," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team is not bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of strained relationship," he added.

Historically, not shaking hands for political reasons is not a new thing in international sports.

In a women's singles match at the 2023 Wimbledon, Ukranian Elina Svitolina didn't shake hands with Belarus's Victoria Azarenka after the former won her match.

Svitolina had made it clear that she won't shake hands with any player from Russia or Belarus since the two countries attacked her nation.

The Wimbledon authorities didn't penalise Svitolina and Azarenka for not upholding the sportsman spirit.

Geopolitical tensions at times grip sporting rivalries but do not come in the way for regular niceties. For instance, USA and Iran, the two nations who have been diplomatically at war with each other, shook hands during their football World Cup games despite the political climate.

While there has been severe criticism on playing Pakistan, it must be noted that it is the Indian government which has made a policy that Indo-Pak cricket matches at multi-nation events will be allowed.

There is an inherent reason for that.

Cricket has now officially entered the Olympic Programme for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 and India wants to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympic games in Ahmedabad.

If one wants to host events of such magnitude then not playing Pakistan at multi-nation events -- global or continental -- makes for very poor optics for the International Olympic Committee and can severely dent chances of playing hosts.

Therefore, cricket matches at Asia Cup and World Cup will continue but bonhomie has ended for the foreseeable future.

(With PTI Inputs)