BCCI did not follow a directive by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to keep politics out of the ongoing U-19 cricket matches, according to a report by PTI. Notably, the junior Men in Blue followed the no-handshake policy adopted by the senior side during the Asia Cup this year.
The hostilities were on full display even during the U-19 Asia Cup Group A match between India and Pakistan, where Indian skipper Ayush Mhatre refused to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart Farhan Yousaf after the toss.
As per the PTI report, ICC wanted politics to be kept away from the tournament and the normal protocol of sportsman spirit to be followed during the India–Pakistan matches.
Reportedly, the apex cricketing body had left the final decision to the BCCI while noting that if the no-handshake policy were to continue, the match referee must be informed in advance.
The decision by India's U-19 team to not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts comes amid a series of similar choices made not only during the senior Men's Asia Cup but even during the Women’s World Cup and the Rising Stars Asia Cup. The decision is said to be a gesture of solidarity with the Indian armed forces and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
India and Pakistan face off in Dubai:
The U-19 India and Pakistan teams are currently facing off at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai, setting up a high-octane clash in what is considered one of the fiercest rivalries across sports.
The toss in Dubai was delayed owing to rain and eventually the match had to be reduced by an over each side as well, meaning both teams will have 49 overs to make their case.
India and Pakistan are both placed in Group A of the tournament and both teams have won their first match comfortably. While the Men in Blue defeated the United Arab Emirates by 234 runs in their opening clash, the Pakistan side defeated Malaysia convincingly by 297 runs.
The two teams are likely to qualify for the next stage and may well face off once again during the semi-final stage.
India and Pakistan playing XI:
India: Ayush Mhatre (c), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aaron George, Vihaan Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (w/k), Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Deepesh Devendran, Kishan Kumar Singh, Henil Patel
Pakistan: Usman Khan, Sameer Minhas, Ali Hassan Baloch, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf (c), Hamza Zahoor (w/k), Huzaifa Ahsan, Niqab Shafiq, Abdul Subhan, Mohammad Sayyam, Ali Raza
