The strained political relations between India and Pakistan spilled onto the cricket field when no handshakes were exchanged between players — before or after their Asia Cup game in Dubai.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said match referee Andy Pycroft of Zimbabwe requested both captains — Suryakumar Yadav of India and Salman Ali Agha of Pakistan — not to shake hands during the pre-game coin toss on Sunday.

The PCB, in a late-night statement released in Urdu to domestic media, described Pycroft’s decision as “against sportsmanship” and said team manager Naveed Akram Cheema registered a “formal protest against the match referee’s behavior" with the International Cricket Council. The ICC is yet to issue a public response.

“Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship,” PCB chai

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