ISLAMABAD: India’s political advances in cricket appear to persist, as tensions once more crept in this time during the ICC Women’s World Cup. Indian women’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur declined to shake hands with Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana for the toss, a similar gesture that has been earlier seen by men’s cricketer Suryakumar Yadav at the Asia Cup.
The highly anticipated match was played at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where everyone kept their fingers crossed for the toss not just for the game, but to see whether the two captains would uphold the sportsman spirit by shaking hands.
Fatima Sana, having won the toss and decided to field first, tried to uphold professionalism. But once Harmanpreet’s turn came, the mood became significantly charged. The two captains just looked at each other, without even a handshake or a warm gesture shared.
This continuation of the “no handshake policy”, which started with the Asia Cup, is a worrying trend where sporting events, particularly India-Pakistan encounters, are being overshadowed by political undertones.
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Opponents believe that the cricketing spirit based on sporting spirit, respect, and rivalry is being undercut by such behavior, especially at the international level.
