Mohammad Abdullah, Senior Sports Reporter
UAE’s hopes of qualifying for the knock-out round of the Asia Cup got a major boost amid the on-going handshake controversy between arch-rivals India and Pakistan.
The gesture of the Indian team prompted Pakistan to threaten to pull out of their match against the UAE on Wednesday in Dubai.
If Pakistan pull out of the match, UAE will get a walkover with two points. Having beaten Oman in their previous match, UAE will procure four points, which will be enough to pave their way into the next round.
Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the match. India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the politically-charged Asia Cup match, which was their first meeting after a brief military skirmish in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.
New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the attacks while Islamabad continued to deny their involvement. However, India launched Operation Sindoor. Pakistan also retaliated and a ceasefire was possible only after the intervention of the international community.
In the post-match press conference Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav made it clear that they are here to play cricket.
In reply to a question by Gulf Today, the Indian captain said: “I feel a few things in life are beyond sportsmanship. I have already said in the presentation that I stand by all the victims of the Pahalgam attack. We stand by their families also to express our solidarity.
“The Indian government, the BCCI and we are aligned together. We have come here to play cricket. We gave them a proper reply,” he continued.
He also did not shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha after the toss. The match referee Andy Pycroft asked both the captains to avoid handshakes apparently at the behest of BCCI.
Pakistan Cricket Board chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi demanded the removal of Pycroft from the elite panel of referees. The ICC, which is headed by Jay Shah, son of the powerful Indian home minister Amit Shah, has turned down the PCB request.
The Pakistan team cancelled their pre-match conference for the UAE match on Tuesday, hinting at the potential pullout from the match if their demand is not met.
At the time of going to press, there was a stalemate from either – PCB and ICC – on the matter. The cancellation of the pre-match conference by Pakistan hints at something big in store if their demand is not fulfilled.
However, the boycott will not be an easy option for Pakistan as it may cost them a fortune. If Pakistan don’t turn out to play, their Asia Cup campaign will be over as the UAE will progress to the next round along with India, who are at the top of the table with two wins.
This move will cost Pakistan a whopping 12-15 million dollars. The cash-strapped PCB is not likely to blow it out of proportion. At the same time, Naqvi, who is also cabinet minister, will look for some face-saving exercise while also trying to salvage the pride of his nation.
Meanwhile, UAE are fancying their chances of playing in the knockout stage of any ICC tournament for the first time.
UAE coach Lal Chand Rajput said that they are confident of giving a tough fight to Pakistan after beating Oman. He was all praise for opener Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem.
Sharafu and Waseem shared an 88-run opening stand to set the tone for a big total against Oman. Both the players struck fifties as UAE posted 172/5 and skittled out Oman for 130.
“We are confident of putting up a good fight especially after our win against Oman in the last match. After India’s match, we did not talk much about it and focused on the next game.
“We have already played Pakistan in the tri-series so we know their strengths and weaknesses. It is just a matter of one good performance and we can move into the knock-out round. If we are able to book a berth in the knockout stage it will be a big thing for us,” said the UAE coach.