Sipu Jha
Twice in just two days, Pakistani teams received handshakes and high fives from their opponents—something you don’t often see with a Pakistan team these days. First, the Indian men’s junior hockey team extended High Fives and handshakes to their Pakistan counterparts after a match. Less than 24 hours later, the Pakistan cricket team handed reigning world champions South Africa a 93-run defeat in the first Test at Lahore, ending the Proteas’ 10-match winning streak—and were again greeted with handshakes. Yet, the celebrations were tinged with lingering resentment. On-air commentators Ramiz Raja and Aamer Sohail used the moment to drag India back into the conversation, revisiting last month’s Asia Cup controversy. During that tournament, Indian players had refused to shake hands with Pakistani counterparts on three separate occasions, sparking tensions that carried on even after India secured a five-wicket win in Dubai to claim their ninth Asia Cup title. Aamer Sohail remarked, “Good to see both teams shaking hands. It’s getting out of fashion these days.” Ramiz Raja added, “It’s getting out of hand,” before emphasising the tradition of sportsmanship in cricket and the importance of being “gentlemanly and fair,” even taking a jab at South Africa in the process. On the field, Pakistan’s win was emphatic. Shaheen Afridi led the bowling effort with 4/33, while left-arm spinner Noman Ali finished with 4/79 to bowl South Africa out for 183. Earlier, Tony de Zorzi’s maiden Test century and a fifty from Ryan Rickleton had propelled the Proteas to 269, still trailing Pakistan’s first-innings total of 378. Salman Agha and Imam Ul Haq both scored 93, narrowly missing out on hundreds, while Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan added crucial half-centuries. Pakistan’s second innings faltered with just 167, but Noman Ali ripped through South Africa’s middle order again, taking 6/112 and matching Senuran Muthuswamy’s earlier haul of 6/117. While Pakistan celebrates a significant victory and climbs to second in the World Test Championship points table, just behind Australia, the handshakes highlight a recurring narrative: India’s refusal to engage in simple sportsmanship remains a talking point, even weeks after the Asia Cup final.
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