A Silent Standoff: The Toss That Spoke Volumes in the Women’s World Cup

At the Women’s World Cup 2025 match in Colombo on Sunday (October 5), India continued to uphold a no-handshake policy against Pakistan, as captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana skipped pleasantries at the toss.

Prior to the match, Cricbuzz reported that ICC match officials would individually brief the teams on match-day protocols to preclude any on-field incidents.

This decision follows escalating tensions between the cricket boards of both nations, stemming from disputes during the men’s Asia Cup 2025.

The issue began when the Indian men’s team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, chose not to engage in post-match handshakes after a group-stage game against Pakistan. Subsequently, Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha avoided the post-match broadcaster interview. Tensions escalated as PCB released footage of their discussion with match referee Andy Pycroft, pushing for his dismissal from the tournament. This led to an official reprimand for breaches of conduct.

The discord intensified during subsequent matches, with Pakistan players making pointed gestures. Following their win in the final, the Indian team declined to receive the winner’s trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who holds multiple significant roles, including Pakistan’s Interior Minister. With Naqvi’s refusal to delegate the presentation, the Indian team celebrated without the trophy after a 90-minute delay.

The question of whether the women’s teams would partake in handshakes drew much attention, overshadowing the sport itself in the World Cup lead-up. Colombo serves as Pakistan’s neutral base for the event since the two nations refrain from playing on each other’s territories.

Match-day routines commenced under changing weather, as sunny skies turned cloudy roughly 90 minutes before the scheduled start. The previous day’s game between Sri Lanka and Australia was washed out due to persistent rain.

India held their warm-up on one side of the field, engaging in football matches, and bowlers Arundhati Reddy and Radha Yadav practiced briefly on a separate strip.

India’s head coach Amol Majumdar, speaking in a pre-match huddle, joined captain Harmanpreet in inspecting the pitch. Coverage for the pitch was only removed after rain and pre-match protocols concluded, offering India’s first view on Sunday.

Pakistan’s team opted for a warm-up near their dugout, led by a brief huddle with captain Sana.