Our revenge failed - A statement from the Pakistani leader, distressed because his hand was not shaken

Yesterday (15), during the coin toss before the India-Pakistan World Cup cricket match held at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, the traditional handshake in cricket was avoided by Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav.

The Indian captain, who had the opportunity to toss the coin, tossed it in such a way that it fell outside the designated blue circle, and he used that moment, when everyone's attention was on the coin, to avoid shaking hands and congratulating Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha.

At the time of this incident, the Pakistani captain was expecting a handshake. The day before (14), at a press conference also held at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Salman Agha had stated that he or his team would never hesitate to congratulate the Indian captain, preserving the spirit of the game and its intrinsic values. Although it was important for the game to proceed as it always had, rather than according to his personal opinion, he emphasized that the decision on the next course of action rested with the Indians. At the Indian press conference held on the same day, Suryakumar Yadav did not give a direct answer to reporters' questions about whether they would shake hands with the Pakistanis, avoiding the answer by saying to wait another 24 hours for it.

Following the terrorist attack in India's Pahalgam region, the escalating political crisis between the two countries has thus spread to the cricket field. This is not the first time Indian players have refused to shake hands with their Pakistani opponents. Last year, during the Asia Cup tournament held in September, Suryakumar Yadav, and subsequently, Indian captains in the Women's World Cup tournament and the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup tournament last month, had completely refused to shake hands and congratulate Pakistani captains.