Pakistan have registered a protest with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) over the refusal of the Indian players for a customary handshake after their Asia Cup clash. Calling it “unsporting”, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement late on Sunday night that India’s actions were 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 spirit of the game. As a protest, we did not send our captain to the post-match ceremony,” said the PCB statement.
India’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan in Sunday’s Asia Cup clash ended on a cold note as their players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts. This series of events may be in for a repeat as the two teams could meet twice again in this tournament. This was the first encounter between the cricketing archrivals since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. It turned out to be a no-contest with India outplaying Pakistan in all departments.
Suryakumar had earlier defended the decision of not shaking hands with the opposition, saying it was their way of showing solidarity with the families of the Pahalgam victims.
Decision had BCCI backing
Indian players’ refusal to shake hands with the Pakistan team after Sunday’s match was not a spontaneous decision, but a collective call endorsed by an important member of the support staff and supported by the BCCI. “We took a team call. We had come only to play. We had given them a reply. Some things are beyond sportsmanship,” Suryakumar said after the match.
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Once skipper Suryakumar Yadav sealed the match with a six, he proceeded towards the dugout and started walking without even looking at the opposition players. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha queued up with his teammates for the customary handshake and even walked halfway towards the Indian dugout, but no Indian player responded.
Even at the toss, Suryakumar neither interacted nor shook hands with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha. “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.
In response, Salman skipped the match presentation ceremony. “Salman not coming for the post-match presentation was cause and effect after what happened," said Hesson.
The PCB said 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 two captains submitted their respective team sheets to Pycroft, spoke with TV commentator Ravi Shastri, who was conducting the toss, and headed back to their designated places.
When India and Pakistan meet again at the same venue next Sunday, one cannot rule out a spillover of the ongoing Indo-Pak tensions on the cricket field.
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