Key Points:
- Kayo Sports released and subsequently deleted a promotional video featuring Australian cricketers mocking India’s no-handshake stance against Pakistan.
- Video featured Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Grace Harris, Sophie Molineux, and Alyssa Healy demonstrating alternative greetings.
- Indian fans condemned the video as insensitive; Kayo Sports removed it after widespread criticism on social media.
- The controversy stems from India’s Asia Cup 2025 decision to refuse handshakes with Pakistan players following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
- India’s limited-overs tour of Australia begins October 19 with three ODIs, followed by five T20Is from October 29 to November 8.
New Delhi: Australian sports streaming platform Kayo Sports has deleted a promotional video after facing significant backlash for featuring Australian cricketers mocking India’s decision to refuse handshakes with Pakistani players during the Asia Cup 2025. The video, released ahead of India’s upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, sparked controversy on social media before being swiftly removed.
Video Content Draws Criticism
The promotional clip featured several prominent Australian cricketers from both men’s and women’s teams, including Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Grace Harris, Sophie Molineux, and Alyssa Healy. The video opened with anchor Ian Higgins stating, “We all know India is on its way, but we’ve identified one critical weakness”.
Co-host Sam Perry added while mimicking a handshake gesture, “We know that they’re not huge fans of the traditional greeting, so we can throw them off before we’ve even bowled a ball”. The presentation attempted to humorously suggest alternative greeting methods to unsettle the Indian team.
AUS players pre-India clip mocks India no-handshake theatre vs Pak. Why Aussie media & players laughing at stance sold as national pride? @BCCI @JayShah @GautamGambhir @narendramodi @ICC @MithunManhas @vikrantgupta73 @rawatrahul9 @mufaddal_vohra @PadmajaJoshi @ShivAroor pic.twitter.com/lSbuyhEcui
— Maham Fazal (@MahamFazal_) October 14, 2025
The video then showcased Australian players demonstrating various creative greeting options. Glenn Maxwell and Jake Fraser-McGurk performed exaggerated fist bumps, while women’s cricketers Grace Harris and Sophie Molineux displayed a range of gestures. Notably, Molineux’s gesture involved raising her hands before showing middle fingers, which were blurred in the video. Australian captain Mitchell Marsh suggested Travis Head’s famous “finger in the ice cup” celebration, while women’s captain Alyssa Healy referenced her signature “Healy Hands” gesture. Josh Hazlewood reacted by asking, “What about the shooter?” before the video concluded with players breaking into laughter.
Swift Removal After Fan Backlash
Although Kayo Sports intended the video as lighthearted promotional content ahead of the highly anticipated India-Australia series, Indian cricket fans immediately condemned it as insensitive and disrespectful. The backlash intensified on social media platforms, with many questioning why Australian media and players were “laughing at a stance sold as national pride”.
Following the growing criticism, Kayo Sports promptly removed the video from all social media platforms to avoid further controversy before India’s tour commences.
Asia Cup 2025: The Handshake Controversy
The controversy being mocked by the Australian players originated during the Asia Cup 2025, when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates refused to shake hands with Pakistani players during all three encounters between the neighboring nations. The decision was made in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, which claimed 26 lives.
Following the attack, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, conducting retaliatory strikes targeting terror base camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). In this charged geopolitical context, India’s cricket team chose to avoid handshakes as a gesture of solidarity with the victims and the armed forces.
Suryakumar Yadav later explained that the no-handshake policy was a tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, dedicating India’s victories to them and the Indian armed forces. However, this explanation drew mixed reactions, with critics labeling it as politically motivated and unsportsmanlike.
ICC Complaints and Counter-Complaints
The handshake refusal triggered a diplomatic cricket dispute. Pakistan lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Indian players for their conduct during the Asia Cup matches. Simultaneously, India filed counter-complaints against Pakistani players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for making provocative gestures during matches.
Rauf’s “jet crashing” and “6-0” finger signs referencing cross-border air strikes, along with Farhan’s rifle mimicry, were deemed disrespectful by the Indian team. The situation escalated further during the trophy presentation ceremony when Indian players refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister and PCB chief. The trophy was removed from the podium without a formal handover, leaving the Indian team without their celebration moment.
Upcoming India-Australia Series
Despite the promotional video controversy, anticipation remains high for the India-Australia white-ball series. The tour begins with a three-match ODI series in Perth starting October 19, 2025. Shubman Gill will captain the ODI squad, which will see the return of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after their absence since the ICC Champions Trophy in March 2025.
The ODI series will be followed by five T20 internationals scheduled from October 29 to November 8 in Canberra and other venues. Suryakumar Yadav will captain the T20I side, continuing his leadership role after the Asia Cup campaign.
