In light of the political unrest from their previous match, which continues to overshadow the Dubai cricket tournament, India and Pakistan are trying to avoid controversy before their crucial Super Fours match.
One hour before the scheduled time of the pre-match press conference for Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of India, avoided being asked about the “no handshake” row when he addressed the media following his team’s victory over Oman on Friday.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The South Asian rivals’ second meeting on Sunday will bring the winner one step closer to the tournament’s final on September 28th.
Both camps have taken steps to protect the players from controversy and prevent further repercussions while the political statements and off-field actions following the upcoming Super Fours match continue to have an impact on preparations.
After his team’s final group game on Friday evening, Yadav responded by saying, “It will be a good match between the ball and the bat.”
He continued to say that he had asked his players to “shut the noise” before the match against Pakistan.
The India captain urged people to “close your room, turn off your phone, and go to sleep.”
“Sometimes it’s difficult to say, but it’s easy to say.”
The 35-year-old made the bold move to avoid making similar remarks the day before their second game after making egregiously political remarks following their team’s victory over Pakistan on Sunday.
When asked if his team’s decision to ignore Pakistani players was against the spirit of cricket, the 35-year-old said, “We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this victory to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.
Yadav made reference to the Indian military’s repeated missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.
India claimed that the missiles were fired in response to the 26-man fatal April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam. The Resistance Front (TRF), an armed group that demands Kashmir’s independence, claimed responsibility for the attack, but India claimed Pakistani involvement.
Pakistan requested an independent investigation and denied any involvement in the attacks.
At least four military installations were attacked by Pakistan in response to the missile strikes, which came two days later when it attacked India and Indian-administered Kashmir along its border.
Four days later, the conflict came to an end thanks to a worldwide ceasefire.
As India’s players left the field without waging a hand with their opponents, the diplomatic ties between the neighbors remained suspended.
As is customary at the conclusion of cricket matches, Pakistan’s players waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands with them a few moments later in a group before heading off in a group.
The Indian contingent, however, only shook hands with one another before entering their dressing room as the eager Pakistan players watched.
Pakistan’s manager, Naveed Akram Cheema, objected to the Indian cricket team’s actions while Andy Pycroft, a match referee who is an official of the International Cricket Council (ICC), was in a Immediately following the incident, Naveed Akram Cheema, the Indian cricket team’s manager, filed a grievance.
Pakistan claimed that Pycroft did not clearly communicate the Indian team’s decision to not participate in the handshake, which they alleged was against the spirit of cricket.
Pakistan demanded Pycroft’s removal as match referee for the remainder of the tournament, but the ICC eventually agreed and Pycroft continued to serve as the UAE’s official match-officier on Wednesday.
As ICC officials and Pakistan’s team management met before the match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the ICC meeting was delayed by an hour.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued an apology to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team in a statement.
The September 14 incident was a result of “miscommunication,” according to Andy Pycroft.
The ICC also stated that Pycroft’s request to Pakistan and India captains avoid the customary handshake at the toss, which the PCB claims violated the game’s laws, “expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match.”
However, an ICC source told Al Jazeera that Pycroft only offered clarifications regarding his apology to Pakistan.
The ICC, according to the source, determined that the issue was unjustifiable and that it did not warrant legal action against the Zimbabwean match referee.
