Former England greats Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, and David Lloyd shared their strong opinions on the ongoing “no-handshake” row between India and Pakistan.
India’s “no handshake” policy sparks debate among England legends
During the recent T20 World Cup 2026 clash in Colombo, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha did not shake hands at the toss.
Even after India’s 61-run win, the Indian players skipped the traditional post-match handshakes and went straight to the dressing room.
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This strict “no-handshake policy” has been in place since August last year. India adopted it to show solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 and to honor the Indian Army’s Operation Sindoor. Now, all the cricket teams have been following the same trend.
Alastair Cook reveals India-Pakistan on-field drama is just for show
Sharing his thoughts on the drama, former England captain Alastair Cook has now revealed that the on-field hostility between the two archrivals is mostly staged. The legendary batter explained that behind closed doors, the Indian and Pakistani players are still friendly and talk normally.
Cook felt the handshake drama is only to respect the political sensitivities between the two countries. Alastair Cook said on the Stick to Cricket Podcast, “But then aren’t they talking behind closed doors? I read somewhere that everyone’s just chatting anyway, so it’s like, it’s only for show, isn’t it?”
Cook added, “Like, on the actual field, they’re not shaking hands. Behind closed doors, they’re all talking. I like that; I like that. They’re just standing there on one leg going, “Are you going to move?” What are you going to do? What are you going to do?”
“Not shaking hands on a cricket field!”
The team chat India v Pakistan. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/LP1akSRtWN
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) February 18, 2026
Vaughan-Lloyd call India-Pakistan tension ‘Awkward’
On the other hand, Michael Vaughan and David Lloyd have described the situation as awkward and uncomfortable.
Vaughan said during the discussion, “Their eyes, Pakistan against India—I mean, that’s a mismatch. Well, it seems to be, doesn’t it? It looks to me like Pakistan; every time they play India, they look intimidated by India on a cricket field.”
Lloyd said, “That whole situation is sour, isn’t it? It is. You know, it’s just sad.”
Could India and Pakistan meet again in T20 World Cup 2026?
Meanwhile, India has started the T20 World Cup 2026 defense in perfect style, winning all three of their Group A matches so far. The Men in Blue have now sealed their place in the Super 8 stage. Pakistan also booked their Super 8 spot after a big win over Namibia in Colombo on February 18.
Both teams now join six other qualifiers, with the Super 8 split into two groups of four. In this round, each team plays three matches within their group, and the top two from each group will advance to the semi-finals. This stage sets up the possibility of another epic India-Pakistan encounter.
If both teams perform well, they could face each other in the semis. If everything goes perfectly, both could win their semi-finals and clash in a blockbuster final on March 8. A potential India-Pakistan final would be one of the most exciting matches in the tournament.
