T20 World Cup captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha avoided a handshake at the toss, highlighting the tense backdrop to cricket’s biggest rivalry.
COLOMBO: India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Salman Agha did not shake hands at the coin toss for their T20 World Cup clash.
The snub continued a pattern from last year’s Asia Cup, where the captains also avoided the traditional gesture in all three of their meetings.
Pakistan’s Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first in the hotly anticipated Group A match. The game itself was only confirmed six days prior after the Pakistan government reversed a threat to boycott.
Political tensions had cast a long shadow over the fixture. The match was in doubt after Bangladesh refused to play their World Cup games in India and were replaced by Scotland.
Pakistan’s government initially ordered its team to boycott the India game in co-host Sri Lanka in protest. The nuclear-armed neighbours now only meet in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues as part of a compromise.
It has been over 18 years since they last played a Test match and 13 years since a bilateral series. Excitement for the clash nevertheless reached fever pitch, with the 35,000-capacity R. Premadasa Stadium sold out.
Tickets were reportedly selling for more than four times face value on the black market. Fans made long journeys to attend, with Sri Lankans Saleem Ali and Naseem Ali taking a seven-hour bus ride from Trincomalee.
“We are here to support Pakistan,” said Saleem, 32. Indian fans Inderjeet Singh Satwal and Kuldeep Singh Nirh travelled from Aurangabad.
“The build-up to this match was disappointing,” Nirh said. “Politicians have spoiled a good game of cricket.”
