ACC President Naqvi reacts to India's refusal to shake hands with Pakistan players

DUBAI: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed disappointment after India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan players following their high-octane Asia Cup clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Naqvi took to the social media platform 'X' to express his disappointment over the unsportsmanlike conduct observed during the match.

“Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Let’s hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace,” he wrote.

India successfully chased 128, with captain Suryakumar Yadav sealing the win in style by hitting the winning six in the 16th over. 

Yadav and teammate Shivam Dube exchanged fist bumps and congratulated each other before heading straight to the dressing room. 

While they shook hands with their own teammates at the dugout, there was no interaction with Pakistan players. The men in green, meanwhile, shook hands among themselves before leaving the field.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha’s decision to bat first backfired as his side managed only 127/9 in 20 overs. Early wickets fell as Saim Ayub (0) and Mohammad Haris (3) were dismissed cheaply. 

Sahibzada Farhan played a determined knock of 40 off 44 balls, while Fakhar Zaman contributed 17 before falling to Axar Patel. 

Shaheen Afridi’s late blitz of 33 off 16, including four sixes, helped Pakistan cross the 120-run mark, with minor contributions from Faheem Ashraf (11) and Sufiyan Muqeem (10).

In response, India chased down the target in 16 overs for the loss of three wickets. 

Suryakumar Yadav remained unbeaten on 47, anchored the innings, and received support from Tilak Varma’s 31 and Abhishek’s explosive 31 off just 13 balls.