Litton Das accuses Mohammad Rizwan of refusing handshake

DHAKA: Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das has accused Pakistan star Mohammad Rizwan of refusing to shake hands with opposition players following both Tests of their recent series, describing the behaviour as “unprofessional” and disrespectful.

Tensions between the two players came to the surface during the second Test in Sylhet, where they were involved in a heated on-field exchange.

The incident occurred in the 72nd over of Pakistan’s innings when Rizwan raised concerns about movement near the sightscreen. Litton questioned the delay, leading to a brief argument before umpire Richard Kettleborough stepped in to calm the situation.

Speaking at an event organised by a Bangladeshi media outlet, Das revealed that Rizwan’s actions after the matches had left a lasting impression on him.

“I didn’t like one thing. Whatever happens on the field, once the game is over, you shake hands with everyone. After we won the first Test, Rizwan didn’t come shake our hands. That’s just bad, no matter who you are or how big a player you are. Win or lose, it’s about respect,” he said during an event with a Bangladesh news outlet.

The Bangladesh batter suggested that even if Rizwan had a personal issue with him, refusing to take part in the traditional post-match handshake showed a lack of respect towards the entire Bangladesh side.

“He might have an issue with me, but the whole Bangladesh team didn’t do anything to him. What should we expect from him next time? He didn’t show respect to our team,” he added, recalling the second Test.

Despite his criticism, Das acknowledged Rizwan’s importance to Pakistan’s batting line-up, alongside former captain Babar Azam.

“I knew only Babar and Rizwan could really trouble us. Rizwan’s record against Bangladesh is very strong, and that stayed in my mind,” he said.

Das also admitted Bangladesh had specifically targeted Rizwan during the series.

“I knew only Babar and Rizwan could trouble us. Rizwan’s numbers against us are strong, and that stuck with me. Litton said.

“He’s a big deal in Pakistan, but something happened that I didn’t like. Ever since, I had a question mark about him. Plus, everyone knows Rizwan takes his time between balls. I was keeping wickets in that heat, and it was tough. So I decided to do something about it,” he concluded.