Dubai: Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) after Indian players refused to shake hands with their counterparts following the Asia Cup clash in Dubai.
In a statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the behaviour was “against the spirit of the game” after India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, cruised to a seven-wicket win. Team manager Naveed Cheema filed the protest, while skipper Salman Ali Agha boycotted the post-match ceremony in retaliation.
Suryakumar defended the decision, calling it a team stand to honour the victims of the recent Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 Indian lives. “Some things are beyond sportsmanship. We dedicate this victory to our armed forces and the families of the victims,” he said.
The refusal to shake hands was visible from the toss itself, when Suryakumar avoided interaction with Salman. The matter escalated at the end of the game, leading to Pakistan’s formal complaint.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson expressed disappointment, saying, “We wanted to shake hands but the opposition didn’t. Salman not coming for the presentation was a direct reaction.”
In a post on social media, Naqvi accused the Indian team of ‘dragging politics’ into the game. He said, “Utterly disappointed by the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Let’s hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace.”
The PCB maintained that India’s conduct undermined cricket’s sportsmanship values and has asked the ACC to take note of the incident.
