India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha didn’t shake hands at the press conference. The tournament gets underway today, September 9, with taking on Hong Kong.
India will play the first game on September 10, against the UAE. Ahead of the opener, the captains got together for a pre-tournament conference, but the India and Pakistan captain did their best to avoid each other.
After the PC, embraced Rashid Khan and a few others, but notably exchanged no pleasantries with Salman Ali Agha, who was quick to quick to leave the stage after the PC. Yadav, however, did shake hands with PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council.
Why Didn’t Suryakumar Yadav Shake Hands With Pakistan Captain?
The India-Pakistan ties hit an all-time low after the Pahalgam attack, and there were calls for a total boycott of Pakistan. Many even supported India opting out of the Asia Cup to not play against Pakistan, but BCCI clarified that they are bound by sports governing bodies and will continue playing cricket against countries that are not on good terms with India. The board, however, clarified that there will be no bilateral cricket between the two countries. It was an awkward situation for Suryakumar as the backlash over Asia Cup back home is severe, which might have forced both captains to avoid each other.
Suryakumar Yadav Warns Pakistan
Meanwhile, Surya, while addressing whether the recent conflict between the two countries will see tempers run high, said that aggresion will always be there whenever the Indian team takes field.
“Aggression is always there when we take the field,” Suryakumar Yadav told reporters. “Without aggression, you can’t play cricket. I am really excited to play cricket starting tomorrow,” he added.