Handshake Row: Indian Players Ordered to Maintain Distance from Pakistani Net Bowlers

Team India, already qualified for the Super 4s, will face Oman as their last opponent in the group stage at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai. Amid the ongoing handshake row with Pakistan from their recent clash, Indian players have now been instructed to avoid casual conversations with Pakistani net bowlers, including refraining from selfies and photos.

Changing Rules for Indian Players and Net Bowlers

Net bowlers from all participating countries are present in Dubai to assist various teams. Indian players will practice with Pakistani and Sri Lankan net bowlers, and the same arrangement applies to other Asian teams.

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Usually, Indian players are quite relaxed interacting with net bowlers regardless of nationality. For example, during the 2018–19 Australia tour, Pakistan’s pace bowler Haris Rauf served as a net bowler for India, bowling to senior players like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma.

However, things have changed this time. Following the handshake controversy during the India-Pakistan match last Sunday in Dubai, team management has taken a firm stance. According to Pakistani media reports, Indian players have been strictly told to avoid casual chats or posing for photos with Pakistani net bowlers during practice.

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New Restrictions on Interactions with Pakistani Net Bowlers

The report mentioned that

"To ensure compliance, net bowlers must hand over their mobile phones before training sessions, which are returned only after practice concludes."

Additionally, the Indian team canceled their scheduled practice session and pre-match press conference on Wednesday, declaring it a "rest day." According to the BCCI schedule released before the Asia Cup, Indian players were set to have a three-hour practice from 6 pm (local time) on September 17, followed by a media interaction.

However, recent updates confirmed the cancellation of the early press conference:

“Please note there will be no media and practice session tomorrow. It is a rest day. We will convey practice and press conference time for the pre-match press conference on Thursday later,” the BCCI stated in the official WhatsApp group.

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