Asia Cup Rivals Pak-India Meet Again on Sunday

AFP/APP

Dubai: Cricket’s fiercest rivalry will be reignited on Sunday when India and Pakistan face off in the Asia Cup Super Fours, just a week after their previous clash was marred by a controversy over a post-toss handshake.

India had comfortably beaten Pakistan by seven wickets in their September 14 group-stage encounter in Dubai, but the aftermath sparked tensions after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) alleged that match referee Andy Pycroft instructed skipper Salman Agha not to shake hands with India’s Suryakumar Yadav at the toss.

The PCB lodged a formal protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC), demanding Pycroft’s removal from their matches and even threatening to pull out of the eight-nation Twenty20 tournament.

Their final group match was delayed for an hour before the PCB announced that Pycroft had apologised, allowing the game to proceed under his supervision. Pakistan went on to defeat hosts United Arab Emirates, securing their place in the Super Fours and setting up another high-voltage clash against India.