Pakistan lodged a formal complaint with the Asian Cricket Council against the Indian cricketers for refusing to shake hands after their Asia Cup match here, describing the action as "unsporting" and further escalating tensions between the two teams.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made the statement late on Sunday evening that India's actions were contrary to the game's spirit when Suryakumar Yadav-led India produced a seven-wicket victory.
“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.
The action could be repeated when the two sides will be playing each other twice more in the tournament.
Suryakumar had justified the no-handshaking policy earlier, stating that it was an act of solidarity with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Twenty-six Indian tourists were murdered by Pakistan-backed terrorists, leading to India's Operation Sindoor.
“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.
This was the first cricketing contest between the long-standing rivals following the horrific Kashmir attack and the subsequent Indian military strikes against terror facilities in Pakistan in May.
On the ground, India overwhelmed Pakistan in all aspects. Even during the toss, Suryakumar did not shake hands with or even greet Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, a decision that was not well received by the Pakistan administration. In the wake of the hand-shake boycott after the match, Salman decided to avoid the post-match presentation ceremony.
“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,” Paksitan 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.”
