India and Pakistan want to avoid controversy before an important Asia Cup Match.

 India and Pakistan want to avoid controversy before an important Asia Cup match 2025.

Pakistan cancel pre-match news conference, while India’s captain sidesteps controversial questions before Dubai clash.

All eyes will be on India's captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan's captain Salman Agha when they walk onto the field before the start of their Super Fours match at the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai on Sunday.

India and Pakistan are keen to avoid controversy ahead of their crucial Super Fours fixture at the Asia Cup 2025, as the political fallout of their previous match continues to overshadow the cricket tournament in Dubai.

 Pakistan cancelled their pre-match news conference one hour before its scheduled time on Saturday, while India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav evaded questions on the “no handshake” row when he spoke to the media after his team’s win over Oman on Friday.

Sunday’s match between the South Asian archrivals will be their second meeting in eight days, with the winner taking a step closer to the tournament’s final on September 28.

While the political statements and off-field actions following the September 14 clash continue to impact preparations for the upcoming Super Fours match, both camps have taken steps to avoid further repercussions and protect the players from controversy.

When Yadav was asked to comment on the handshake row after his team’s last group-stage fixture on Friday evening, he responded by saying: “It [the match] will be a good contest between the ball and the bat.”

He went on to say that ahead of the match against Pakistan, he had asked his players to "shut the noise." The India captain advised, "Close your room, turn off your phone, and go to sleep." “It’s easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult.”

Having made pointedly political statements after his team’s win over Pakistan on Sunday, the 35-year-old chose to steer clear of similar comments a day before their second match.

“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor,” the 35-year-old said when asked if his team’s decision to not shake hands with Pakistani players was against the spirit of cricket.

Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.

India said the missiles were in response to the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam, in which 26 men were killed.  The attack was claimed by an armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which wants independence for Kashmir. India had claimed that Pakistan was involved. Pakistan denied any role in the attacks and asked for an independent investigation to be carried out.

Two days later, Pakistan responded to the missile strikes by attacking military installations across its frontier with India and Indian-administered Kashmir, striking at least four facilities.

The conflict ended four days later, thanks to an internationally-brokered ceasefire.

The diplomatic ties between the neighbors remained suspended, the aerial firefight stopped, and the political tension spilled over into cricket when India's players left the field without shaking hands with their opponents. A few moments later, Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.

However, the Indian team only exchanged handshakes with one another before entering their dressing room and locking the door while the Pakistan players who were waiting for them watched. Shortly after the events unfolded, Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Andy Pycroft, who is an International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited match referee.

Pakistan alleged that Pycroft did not clearly communicate the Indian team’s decision to not partake in the handshake, an act they termed in contravention of the spirit of cricket.

Pakistan demanded that Pycroft be removed from his position as match referee for their remaining tournament games. However, the two sides eventually came to an agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC), and Pycroft was appointed to officiate Pakistan's Wednesday match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Pakistan-UAE match was delayed by an hour as officials from the ICC and Pakistan’s team management held a meeting at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium before the match.

“The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

 "Andy Pycroft referred to the incident on September 14 as a result of miscommunication," In addition, the PCB stated that the ICC "expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the match on September 14." This was in reference to Pycroft's request to the captains of Pakistan and India to avoid the customary handshake at the toss, which the PCB claims violated the rules of the game. However, a source within the ICC told All times Pakistan that Pycroft did not apologise to Pakistan and only clarified his position.

The source added that the ICC had looked into the matter and decided that the Zimbabwean match referee should not be punished for it. The Zimbabwean match official will be in charge of Sunday’s India-Pakistan fixture as well.