India Women’s team has started their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup campaign in style against Sri Lanka, however, their game against arch-rivals Pakistan is already getting attention globally following the Asia Cup’s row.
The recently concluded Asia Cup came under the spotlight after India violated the spirit of the game and avoided handshakes with the Pakistan team in all three meetings during the tournament.
Moreover, after defeating Pakistan in the final, they snubbed the presentation ceremony and refused to receive trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi.
With Pakistan and India are set to collide again in the ICC Women’s CWC on October 05, the question everyone is now asking is whether the women’s team follows their Men’s team’s footsteps at the ICC event.
According to a report by Telecom Asia Sport, the Pakistan women’s management is preparing for a repeat.
Manager Hina Munawar, who earlier became the first woman to manage Pakistan’s men’s side, has sought PCB guidance on how her players should respond if the customary gesture is once again avoided.
The men’s team was left stranded after the first time India avoided handshakes.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur previously has sidestepped the controversy, saying her team is focused solely on cricket and not off-field politics.
However, according to Indian journalist Boria Majumdar, Indian cricketers plan to carry their unsportsmanlike politics into the Women’s World Cup, just as they polluted the Asia Cup.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has no formal protocol on post-match handshakes. It is a matter of tradition rather than rule, leaving both sides free to act according to their own stance.
