A Pakistani fan's massive take on the 'handshake' row has gone viral ahead of the Asia Cup Super 4 showdown against Team India at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. With Suryakumar Yadav refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players following the Group stage game between the two sides, the fan said the 35-year-old should change his stance.
A massive row erupted after the Group stage match between the two arch-rivals. After Suryakumar Yadav hit the winning six, he walked off with Shivam Dube without shaking hands with the Pakistani counterparts. It didn't go well with the Men in Green as captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-game presentation duties. Later, PCB released a statement claiming that Pycroft told the captains not to shake hands and called for his ban. However, the ICC rejected their request and is set to officiate the Super 4 match too between the two sides on Sunday.
As per reports, Suryakumar is set to maintain the same stance on September 21, Sunday and is unlikely to do so during the toss too.
"Haath milaana chahiye bhai. Yeh game hai jung nahin hai. Yeh cricket hai, milaane waala khel hai, juda karne waala nahin hai. Isliye haath milaao, ek dusre se baat karo. Hum India-Pakistani hain kya, hamaara ek jism hai, ek body hai. Don't worry, haath milaao aur khelo, hum khel enjoy karne aaye hain."
(He should shake hands. It's a game, not a war. It's a game of cricket, not one of separation. So, shake hands and talk to others. We are one. Don't worry, shake hands and play, we are here to enjoy the game.)
"If you want to do well in this tournament and going forward, we will have to shut out a lot of noise from outside" - Suryakumar Yadav
Ahead of the Super 4 match on Sunday, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav addressed the hype around the clash by saying that he prefers to stay off social media under such circumstances. He said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:
"Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep. Everyone in the room laughed too, and then he continued. Of course, it's not always possible. You meet a lot of friends, you go out to dinner. You have other players also around who like to see all these things. So it's very difficult, but then it's on you. What you want to listen to, what you want to have in your mind. But I have been very clear with all the boys. I think it's very important. If you want to do well in this tournament and going forward, we will have to shut out a lot of noise from outside."
India had beaten Oman by 21 runs in their previous game, while Pakistan had defeated UAE by 41 runs.
