Crossing the boundary

Will this be the end of cricket diplomacy?

- Shah Meer Baloch Islamabad Hannah Ellis-Petersen Delhi

As nationalistic rivalries go, few run as deep as India and Pakistan.

But even as the neighbours fought wars against each other, carried out rival nuclear tests and conducted nightly shows of strength along their heavily militarised border, there was always one thing that brought them together: cricket.

But as the two sides came together last Sunday for a match in the Asia Cup tournament, the camaraderie that was once celebrated as cricket diplomacy had vanished.

At the end of the game - after India won a crushing triumph - instead of the usual respectful handshake between the sides, the Indian team walked off the pitch.

The match was the first meeting of the Indian and Pakistani teams since Delhi accused Islamabad of masterminding a terrorist attack in the disputed Indian region of Kashmir in April, which killed 26 people. Pakistan denied any involvement.

India launched an armed response and fired missiles into Pakistan, leading to four days of tit-for-tat hostilities and exchanges of fire in May that pushed the two nuclear-armed countries closer to all-out war than they had been in decades.

Speaking after the match, India's captain, Suryakumar Yadav, said the decision not to shake hands had been a "team call".

"We had come only to play," Yadav told Indian media. "Some things are beyond sportsmanship. We dedicate this victory to our armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor and stand with families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack."

In response, Pakistan's captain, Salman Ali Agha, did not attend the post-match ceremony. Pakistan's coach, the New Zealander Mike Hesson, said their side had been "ready to shake hands at the end of the game. We were disappointed that our opposition didn't do that."