It is learnt that Indian cricket team have decided to carry on with the ‘no handshake’ policy with Pakistan even if both teams meet again in the Super-4 stage of the ongoing Asia Cup.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his players showed a symbolic protest, leaving the ground directly without handshaking with the Pakistani cricketers after drubbing them in the group league match on Sunday.
According to reports published in The Economic Times, it is believed that India will not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, both in the Super 4 stage and in the final, if they meet.
According to the reports, the decision of not exchanging the sporting gesture through handshakes after the match was taken after Team India received an instruction from the BCCI. It is also believed that the BCCI and the team management were reportedly involved in a discussion over the recent demand from a section of fans and political parties to boycott the game against Pakistan.
Defending the decision, a BCCI official explained while speaking to PTI, “Look, if you read the rule book, there is no specification about shaking hands with the opposition. It is a goodwill gesture and a sort of convention not law that is followed globally across the sporting spectrum. If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team is not bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of strained relationship,” the BCCI official said.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has officially lodged a complaint to the Asian Cricket Council, mentioning India’s gesture as ‘unsporting’.
