Just not cricket: India, Pak players’s disservice to the sport
The Tribune Editorial: The ‘no handshake’ row laid bare the acrimony that pushed cricket to the sidelines.
THE Asia Cup cricket tournament has left a bitter aftertaste that will not go away in a hurry. Playing against each other for the first time after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, India and Pakistan were unable to shed the baggage of geopolitical tensions. The ‘no handshake’ row laid bare the acrimony that pushed cricket to the sidelines. And things got even worse as the event progressed. The final, easily the most exciting India-Pak clash since the Melbourne thriller of October 2022, was followed by a farcical drama. The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman and Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi. Offended by the snub, he left the stadium with the silverware. Unfazed, the victors posed with an imaginary trophy, even as fireworks vainly tried to give an all-is-well impression.
