India captain Suryakumar Yadav once again chose not to shake hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha at the toss ahead of their Asia Cup match on Sunday, as animosity between the bitter rivals rumbled on at the eight-team tournament.
The Asia Cup has been dominated by headlines about India and Pakistan’s first meetings on the pitch since the military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May this year.
India won the politically-charged Group A match by seven wickets last week, and their players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan opponents after the match.
Suryakumar dedicated India’s victory to their armed forces, while several of his teammates took to social media to express similar thoughts.
Furious Pakistan considered withdrawing from the tournament to protest against match referee Andy Pycroft, who they say condoned unsportsmanlike behaviour by India.
They delayed their match against United Arab Emirates by an hour on Wednesday and only went ahead with the game after an apology from Pycroft and the assurance of an inquiry by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
India won the toss and opted to field first in the Super Four match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have qualified for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. The final will be played on September 28.
