Handshake drama continues! Harmanpreet Kaur ignores Pak captain at toss at Women's World Cup

The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash successful the ICC Women’s World Cup connected Sunday began connected a tense note, with captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana choosing not to shingle hands astatine the toss. The deficiency of the accepted motion mirrored the increasing unease betwixt the 2 sides pursuing caller controversies successful men’s cricket. The match, being played astatine the R. Premadasa Stadium successful Colombo, comes amid heightened governmental and sporting tension. India entered the contention with assurance aft a 59-run triumph implicit Sri Lanka successful their opening game, portion Pakistan were looking to retrieve from a dense decision to Bangladesh, wherever they were bowled retired for conscionable 129.

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Ahead of the fixture, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia had acknowledged that relations betwixt India and Pakistan had “worsened” implicit the past week pursuing Asia Cup chairperson Mohsin Naqvi’s trophy hold incident. Speaking to BBC Sport, Saikia said, “India volition play the cricket lucifer against Pakistan connected the 5th, and each the cricket protocols volition beryllium followed.” However, helium remained non-committal connected gestures of sportsmanship, adding, “Whether determination volition beryllium a handshake oregon hugging, I cannot guarantee you thing close astatine this moment.” Former India cricketer and JioStar adept Saba Karim had besides hinted that the players would support the aforesaid stance arsenic the men’s squad during the Asia Cup.

“The BCCI has made its stance precise clear. The Indian women’s squad volition behave successful the aforesaid mode arsenic the men’s squad did successful the Asia Cup. I don’t deliberation they volition shingle hands with the Pakistani cricketers,” Karim said during a Media Day enactment up of the match. Karim besides played down the thought of the brushwood being India’s toughest trial of the tournament. “No, not astatine all. The toughest games volition beryllium against England, Australia, and New Zealand.

Pakistan came done the qualifiers. Facing a broadside similar India, it volition beryllium hard for them. India are a acold superior team,” helium said. Discussing the conditions successful Colombo, helium noted, “The wickets are debased and the shot turns. Pakistan struggled successful their archetypal lucifer against Bangladesh. India person effectual spinners similar Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and Shree Charani… India volition get that advantage.”

While the governmental undertones person dominated headlines, India’s absorption remains firmly connected cricket. As for the lucifer itself, Pakistan won the toss, and skipper Fatima Sana opted to vessel citing the overcast conditions.