NEW DELHI: Salman Ali Agha, skipper of Pakistan, kept the suspense alive over whether he would shake hands with Indian players at the toss or after the T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, but stressed that the match must be played in the true spirit of the game.

Players from India and Pakistan have avoided handshakes since last year’s Asia Cup in Dubai, staged in the aftermath of the Pahalgam massacre and the subsequent Operation Sindoor conducted by the Indian Armed Forces.

“We will see about it tomorrow,” Agha said with a cryptic smile when asked about a possible handshake during the pre-match press conference here on Saturday.

‘Cricket Should Be Played in the Right Spirit’

However, Agha made it clear that the Spirit of the Game must be respected regardless of the circumstances.

“Cricket should be played in (right) spirit. My personal opinion may not matter. But cricket should be played according to how it has always been meant to be played. It’s up to them to decide what to do,” Agha added.

It is understood that the mood within the Indian camp ahead of Sunday’s encounter at the Premadasa Stadium has been more measured than aggressive, with the players expected to leave any decision to senior officials and follow their directive.

At the same time, there is a sense of caution within the Indian side regarding public sentiment on social media, which remains intense as emotions following the Pahalgam attack are still raw.

ICC Pushes for Asian Unity in Colombo

Meanwhile, International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah is expected to be in Colombo on Sunday and may hold informal discussions with representatives from the cricket boards of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam Bulbul confirmed he would travel to Colombo to watch the high-profile India-Pakistan contest and expressed hope of easing recent tensions with the BCCI.

In an interaction with Pratham Alo, Islam revealed that the invitation had come from the ICC.

“The ICC has taken a decision. The major stakeholders of the ICC are these five Asian countries and for the India-Pakistan World Cup match on the 15th, they want representatives of all five Asian countries to be present at the ground together, watch the match together and talk to one another,” Islam had remarked.

(With PTI Inputs)