Pakistan cricket has chosen spectacle, symbolism and subtle provocation to set the tone for their upcoming home series against Australia. The Pakistan Cricket Board has released a slick promotional video ahead of the Pakistan-Australia T20I series, but the clip has already sparked a debate far beyond cricketing circles for what it suggests, not what it shows.
At face value, the promo is modern sports marketing. Shot with cinematic polish, it celebrates Pakistan’s hospitality, colour and street-level cricket culture while building hype for Australia’s return to Pakistan soil. Australian tourists are shown navigating the local streets, soaking in the atmosphere and being welcomed warmly, a narrative the PCB has consciously pushed in recent years as international cricket steadily returns to the country.
The most talked about moment of the video
The most talked about moment of the video lasts a few seconds. An Australian visitor is playfully reminded, “Handshake bhool gaye aap, lagta hain padosiyo ke paas bhi ruke the” (You forgot the handshake, looks like you had an encounter with our neighbours). The line, delivered lightly, is anything but accidental. It is a clear nod to the lingering handshake controversy surrounding India-Pakistan cricket relations, where post-match handshakes have often been absent or deliberately avoided in recent encounters.
The choice to include the reference is telling. The PCB has framed it as humour, not hostility – banter rather than confrontation. Yet in an era where cricket boards are acutely aware of social-media optics, the insertion feels carefully calibrated to travel beyond Pakistan’s border and ignite conversation.
From a marketing standpoint, the strategy worked. Within hours of its release, the promo circulated widely across platforms, triggering reactions ranging from amusement to criticism. For the PCB, that attention is currency. Cricket promotions today are not just about selling tickets, they are about narrative dominance in a crowded digital ecosystem where visibility often matters as much as onfield results.
There is a deeper messaging layer. By portraying Australians being warmly welcomed, Pakistan positions itself as open, sporting and confident, subtly contrasting its approach with strained regional cricket dynamics.
India though, doesn’t need promo-video jabs to stay relevant. Its cricket speaks loud enough – on the pitch, in ICC events, and in global calendar that largely revolves around India audiences. If handshakes have become selective, that’s not missing spirit; it reflects a reality bigger than sport. Pakistan can chase virality. India can afford to chase standards, results and control of the narrative.
