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Shashi Tharoor commented on Indian players refusing to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers during the Asia Cup, urging that the spirit of the game be kept separate from politics.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (File photo/PTI)
With India and Pakistan likely to face up in the Asia Cup final on Sunday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Indian players refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during the tournament.
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While speaking to ANI, Tharoor said that while the emotions against Pakistan are understandable, the spirit of the game should be kept separate from politics and military conflicts.
“I personally feel that once the decision had been made to play, if we feel so strongly about Pakistan, we should not have played… But if we are going to play them, we should play in the spirit of a game, and we should have shaken their hands… We have done this before in 1999, when the Kargil War was going on. On the very day the soldiers were dying for our country, we were playing the World Cup in England against Pakistan. We were shaking their hands even then because the spirit of the game is a different spirit from what goes on between countries, between armies and so on. That is my view,” Tharoor said.
The senior Congress leader further remarked that the reactions from both sides showed a lack of sportsmanship.
“If the Pakistani team, having been insulted the first time, decided to insult us back the second time, it shows that the spirit of the game is lacking on both sides,” he added.
On Thursday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially lodged a complaint against Pakistan cricketers Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf for their inappropriate actions during the high-voltage Asia Cup’s Super Four encounter on September 21.
According to BCCI sources, a complaint has been filed with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and match referee Andy Pycroft.
The Indian team has demanded strict action against both players for conduct that they believe crossed the line of acceptable on-field behaviour.
About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
September 25, 2025, 11:29 IST
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