After their Asia Cup match in Dubai, the Indian players refused to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers, which prompted Pakistan to file a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council, calling it “unsporting” and raising tensions between the two nations.
Following the Suryakumar Yadav-led team’s seven-wicket victory, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declared in a statement late on Sunday, that India’s conduct went against the spirit of the game.
“Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players’ behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the sport of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony,” read a PCB statement.
Given that both teams could play each other twice more during the tournament, the sequence of events could be repeated.
Suryakumar had earlier defended their refusal to shake hands, claiming it was their way of expressing support for the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist assault.
Following the murder of 26 Indian tourists by terrorists supported by Pakistan, India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation.
“We took a team call. We had come only to play. We had given them a reply. Some things are beyond sportsmanship. We dedicate this victory to our armed forces who took part in ‘Operation Sindoor’ and stand with families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack,” said Suryakumar after the emphatic win.
For the first time after the heinous attack in Kashmir and the subsequent Indian military operation against terror infrastructure throughout Pakistan in May, the bitter rivals squared off on a cricket field.
India outperformed Pakistan in every segment of the game, making it a no-contest.
Suryakumar did not speak to or shake hands with Salman Ali Agha, his Pakistani counterpart, even during the toss.
The management of the Pakistani squad was not pleased with it either, and Salman skipped the match presentation ceremony after the incident at the end of the game where he was not given a handshake.
“We wanted to shake hands but disappointed that the opposition didn’t do that. Disappointed with the way we played, but we wanted to shake hands,” Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said later.
“Salman not coming for the post-match presentation was cause and effect after what happened,” he added.
On what transpired at the toss, the PCB added: “The match referee Andy Pycroft had asked captain Salman Ali Agha, at the time of the toss, not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart.
“The Pakistan team management has lodged a protest, calling the behaviour against the spirit of sports.”
