Diplomacy and Sportsmanship: Examining the Protocol Divergence in India-Pakistan Cricket Engagements
A growing commentary on sports diplomacy highlights a stark contrast in how Indian sporting teams interact with Pakistani counterparts across multi-sport events compared to cricket. Following the Women's Asia Cup final, the Indian women's cricket team followed the precedent set by the men's team by refusing customary handshakes with Pakistani players and declining to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's Interior Minister and PCB Chairman. This selective protocol—originally adopted by the Suryakumar Yadav-led men's side during last year's Asia Cup—has sparked debate regarding sportsmanship, administrative autonomy, and national representation.
The commentary emphasizes that while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cites prevailing national sentiments to justify avoiding formal gestures, other Indian sports contingents maintain traditional sporting protocols without controversy. Indian hockey players routinely exchange high-fives with Pakistani opponents during FIH tournaments, while squash, kabaddi, and boxing athletes shake hands and share podiums at multi-sport events like the Asian Games.
Critics argue that isolating cricket creates an artificial hierarchy of patriotism among national athletes, noting that if non-cricket athletes adhere to international sporting handshakes, cricketers avoiding basic sportsmanship gestures risks conflating corporate board autonomy with state-directed foreign policy.
Key aspects of the debate on cricket protocols and sports diplomacy include:
- Divergent Sporting Protocols: Indian cricketers refrain from handshakes and trophy exchanges with Pakistani officials, whereas Indian athletes in hockey, squash, and combat sports observe standard handshakes.
- ACC Leadership Context: Refusing trophy presentations involves political dimensions due to Mohsin Naqvi holding dual roles as ACC President and Pakistan's Interior Minister.
- Government Policy vs Board Discretion: While state policy bans bilateral cricket, it permits participation in multi-nation tournaments, leaving non-handshake protocols to board discretion.
- Diplomatic Messaging: Critics argue that selective non-engagement in cricket risks signaling an artificial hierarchy of patriotism across different national sports teams.
Key Implications
The debate surrounding cricket's selective non-engagement protocol highlights the challenges of balancing national sentiment with international sporting diplomacy. While multi-nation tournaments provide a framework for athletic competition without resuming bilateral series, establishing rigid non-handshake rules introduces inconsistencies across India's broader sports ecosystem.
Furthermore, as Indian athletes prepare for major multi-sport events like the Asian Games, maintaining unified sporting protocols across all disciplines becomes essential. Treating cricket differently from Olympic and Asian Games sports risks overshadowing athletic achievements and complicating relations within international sports governing bodies.