Asia Cup 2025: ‘You Didn’t Lose Because We Didn’t Shake Hands’, R Ashwin Slams Pakistan

Hyderabad: Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has torn into Pakistan ahead of the India-Pakistan Super 4 clash of the Asia Cup 2025. He has come out in defence of the match referee, Andy Pycroft, while slamming Pakistan for creating unnecessary drama over the handshake.

India and Pakistan are set to lock horns for the second time in the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday. The contest between arch-rivals is always a highly anticipated contest, but the backdrop of the handshake row during the group stage match between these two teams has added to the hype of the match.

Ashwin spoke on the issue on his YouTube show ‘Ash ki baat’ and accused Pakistan of unfairly targeting the Zimbabwean match official.

“Andy Pycroft actually saved everybody from seeing such a poor spectacle. India informed the match referee in advance — this is our decision, and we will follow it. That’s it. After all this drama, you lost the match. So what are you complaining about? You didn’t lose because we didn’t shake hands. Please go and find out what you can actually improve.” Ashwin said on YouTube.

ICC has appointed Pycroft as match referee despite Pakistan accusing him of misconduct during the India-Pakistan group stage match on September 14. ICC had rejected PCB’s demand to remove Pycroft as referee from their matches, denying the claim from the team that he instructed Agha Salman to avoid handshakes.

Ashwin further added that Pycroft has done nothing wrong.

“If no handshake was your problem with India, why were you looking for an answer to that problem in the UAE game? Why did you have to make Andy Pycroft the scapegoat? He has done nothing wrong,” he said.

“He is not a schoolteacher. He’s not a principal. He can’t go and bring Surya

and say, ‘Come shake hands’. That’s not his job. What exactly is Pycroft’s fault here?”