Australian legend Ricky Ponting was caught in middle of fake comments that circulated online following which he strongly refuted claims that he condemned Team India for not shaking hands with Pakistan after Sunday’s Asia Cup group stage match. While India had registered a seven-wicket win against Pakistan, the Indian players proceeded directly to the dressing room, ignoring the traditional handshake with their Pakistani counterparts. Within minutes, a quote was being shared over social media, misattributing to Ponting a censure of the Indian team’s behavior.
As per Fox Sports, X (formerly Twitter) users falsely asserted that Ponting had made these comments while appearing on a Sky Sports broadcast. This false information attracted online backlash, with several fans condemning Ponting’s alleged comments regarding the Men in Blue.
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“This match will be remembered forever with India as the big loser. The way the Pakistani team wanted to shake hands at the end has immortalised them as champions of the gentleman’s game with India as the perpetual loser.” false claim that went viral
I am aware of certain comments being attributed to me on social media. Please know that I categorically did not make those statements and indeed have made no public comment about the Asia Cup at all.
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) September 16, 2025
“I am aware of certain comments being attributed to me on social media. Please know that I categorically did not make those statements and indeed have made no public comment about the Asia Cup at all.” Ricky Ponting clears the air
India captain Suryakumar Yadav explained the incident during the post-match press conference, saying that it was a joint decision by the team in consultation with the Indian government.
The move did not go down well with the Pakistan Cricket Board or ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who confirmed that Pakistan has lodged an official complaint with the ICC and called for the instant suspension of match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup.
In spite of some calls for boycott of the match, the India-Pakistan encounter took place as planned. The two sides are set to clash again later in the tournament at the Super Four stage or even in the final, if either of the two teams qualify.
