Pakistan make U-turn on Asia Cup boycott threat, will play UAE match: Sources

Pakistan had earlier threatened to boycott the remainder of the Asia Cup if Pycroft was not removed, following the handshake row during their game against India on Sunday. The PCB wrote to the ICC, demanding his removal after accusing him of failing to act when Indian players, including captain Suryakumar Yadav, refused to shake hands with Pakistani players after the Group A clash in Dubai.

On Tuesday, Pakistan cancelled their pre-match press conference, adding to the uncertainty over their participation in the contest against the UAE. However, the team, led by Salman Ali Agha, trained at the ICC Academy in Dubai on the eve of the match.

Had Pakistan pulled out of their game against the UAE, their campaign would have come to an end. Pakistan, who lost to India in a one-sided contest on Sunday, need nothing less than a win against the associate side to advance to the next stage – the Super 4.

PAKISTAN STUNG BY HANDSHAKE SNUB
Pakistan were stung by India’s decision not to shake hands with them. Captain Salman Ali Agha boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony, while coach Mike Hesson said the players were disappointed by India’s gesture.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav refused the customary handshake with Pakistan players and defended his action. When asked by a journalist after the game whether the snub went against sporting spirit, the skipper said, “a few things in life are beyond sportsman spirit.”

Suryakumar avoided shaking hands with his Pakistani counterpart during the toss and repeated the gesture after the game. When Pakistan players were waiting along the boundary rope to greet him after he hit the winning runs in their chase of 128, Suryakumar and his batting partner Shivam Dube walked straight into the dressing room. An Indian team official was also seen slamming the door shut immediately after they entered.

Suryakumar also dedicated India’s victory to the armed forces and the victims of the April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

Sunday’s match in Dubai marked the first meeting between India and Pakistan since the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent cross-border hostilities in May. India retaliated to the attack by targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Several prominent voices in India, including former cricketers and politicians, had urged the team not to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup. However, the Men in Blue went ahead after receiving clearance from the government. Earlier this year, the Sports Ministry reiterated that India would continue to meet Pakistan in multilateral tournaments but confirmed that the ban on bilateral sporting ties remained in place.

Notably, Suryakumar faced criticism on social media for greeting Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi – also Pakistan’s Interior Minister – during a captains’ press meet on the eve of the tournament opener.

Suryakumar later hinted that the decision not to shake hands with Pakistan players during Sunday’s match was pre-planned, adding that the Indian government and the BCCI were aligned on the matter.

Sources told India Today that Suryakumar would continue to snub handshakes with Pakistan players if the two teams meet again in the Asia Cup. India and Pakistan are scheduled to clash in the Super 4 on Sunday, September 21, provided Pakistan beat the UAE on Wednesday.