Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, refrained from confirming whether his team would engage in the customary handshake with India before their T20 World Cup encounter on Sunday. Despite the growing speculation and controversy surrounding the matter, Agha emphasized that both teams should prioritize the spirit of the game above all else.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Previous Statement
The issue first gained attention during the Asia Cup in September when India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, made a public announcement in Dubai. Yadav declared that his team would not shake hands with Pakistan as a gesture of respect for the Indian citizens who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025. The decision was also seen as a show of solidarity with the Indian Army during ‘Operation Sindoor.’
Uncertainty Ahead of Sunday’s Match
Agha, however, remained tight-lipped about the issue and said, “We will see about it tomorrow” when asked whether the teams would follow the practice on Sunday.
Agha Calls for Respecting the Spirit of Cricket
Amidst the tension, Agha expressed his desire for the game to be played in the true spirit of cricket. “I expect the game should play in the spirit it has always been played since its inception,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining respect for the sport, regardless of the off-field controversies.
As the match draws nearer, all eyes will be on whether this long-standing tradition will be altered or if both teams will rise above the political tensions to focus on the game itself. Salman on Abhishek’s fitness The Pakistan skipper also commented on Abhishek Sharma’s fitness ahead of the game and hoped that he would be available for the clash tomorrow. “I hope Abhishek Sharma plays tomorrow. I really hope he’s recovering well. We want to play against the best.” he said. Salman not worried about Usman Tariq’s action When asked about his spinner Usman Tariq’s ‘questionable’ bowling action, Salman clarified that he doesn’t see any issues in it and that the player himself doesn’t worry about it much. “Usman has been cleared twice by the ICC. I don’t know why there is talk about his action. He doesn’t care about all this talk.” Spinners role in Colombo Salman isn’t really worried with the role of spin being emphasised ahead of the clash as the skipper is confident with the depth of spinners and pacers he has on board for the tournament. “It is possible that the spinner dominates here, but I think the fast bowler will have roles here as well. Because fast bowling is such a skill that you cannot write off anywhere. His role is always there. So I think he will have a role here as well. We have a lot of spinners, but we also have fast bowlers, who we can use them if required.” Salman said.
PAK not worried about the past
Salman was asked about Pakistan’s poor record against India in World Cups to which the skipper said that the past doesn’t concern him and is looking forward to the match at hand. “Obviously, We don’t have a good record against them in World Cups. But whenever you come to play a new match, it’s a new day, a new match. And you have to play good cricket to win. So you can’t change history. You can learn from it. We learned from it. And we’ll try to do a good performance tomorrow and win the match.” he added.
