Dubai: India’s Zeven-Wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup collision in Dubai Stadium On Sunday was overshadowed by Off-Field Drama after Indian players skipped the usual handshake after the game.
Instead of greeting their opponents, Suryakumar Yadav and teammate Shivam Dube exchanged fist pights after touching the winning points, congratulated each other and then went directly to the dressing room.
Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha and head coach Mike Hesson later approached the Indian camp, but no players came out.
Hesson called it “a disappointing way for the game to end.”
“We were ready to shake hands at the end, but the opposition had already gone to the dressing room,” he said.
Pakistan refused in protest to attend the ceremony after the game, because the tensions flared up in a competition that was the first among the bitter rivals since the Military Action of May.
The cross -border collisions were fueled after an attack in Pahalgam in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIJK) in April, where 26 people were killed, blaming India Pakistan.
A confusion with Pakistan’s national anthem before the start had already made the atmosphere tense.
The coach also sheds light on Agha’s absence of the usual presentation after the competition and links it to the incident.
“I think it was just a flow effect. We wanted to hire service at the end of the game and shake our hand, that did not happen, and that was almost the end,” he explained.
“The team manager, Nveed Cheema, submitted a protest after the game with competition referee Andy Pycroft,” said Pakistan’s team management in a statement after the game.
“The behavior of Indian players was against the spirit of sportiness,” it added. “That is why Schipper Agha was not sent to the ceremony after the game.”
The victory captain of India, Suryakumar, defended his team’s decision not to shake hands with the reports Pakistani players on Sunday with the reported Pakistani players and said it was in accordance with their government and cricket board.
“We are tailored to the government and the Council of Control for Cricket in India,” Suryakumar did not say after scoring 47 when India pursued a modest Pakistani target of 128 in 15.5 overs.
“Some things are above sportiness. Is it really sportiness if you don’t even shake hands with the other team? That was our answer.”
The handshake issue was also discussed earlier when Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha did not shake hands with the pitch.
New Delhi opposed the calls to boycott the game and the team to play Pakistan alone at multinational events.
India, with two victories of two, are almost until the next Super Fours phase of the tournament with their last group match against Oman on Friday.
Pakistan will play the VAE on Wednesday and is expected to be the defeat against India, the next phase is expected to.
– Additional input from AFP
