Asia Cup: PCB lodges protest with ACC after India’s handshake snub

Dubai: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filed an official complaint with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) after Indian players declined to shake hands following their Asia Cup match, calling the gesture “unsporting”.

Pakistan’s response came after the match which India won by seven wickets in Dubai. Following the win, Indian players out in the middle – captain Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube – walked back to their dressing room without the customary handshake with Pakistani players. The gesture left Pakistan team in surprise and even their captain Salman Agha skipped the TV interview to mark his protest.

“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.

However, Suryakumar Yadav gave a fitting response to the arch-rivals and dedicated the win to the armed forces who, in reply of the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives on April 22, launched Operation Sindoor to kill the terrorists involved behind the brutal killings of Indian nationals.

“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 win.

India’s stand remained same throughout the match with Suryakumar skipping the handshake with Salman after the toss. However, PCB said that it was communicated by the match referee to Salman before the toss.

“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,” PCB said in a statement.

IANS