Pakistan lodges protest with ACC after Indian players refuse handshake post Asia Cup match
Dubai (PTI): Pakistan have lodged a protest with the Asian Cricket Council over the Indian players' refusal to shake hands with them following their Asia Cup game here, labelling it "unsporting" and escalating the tension between the two sides.
In a statement late on Sunday night, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said India's actions were against the spirit of the game after the seven-wicket win for the Suryakumar Yadav-led unit.
"Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players' behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the sport of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony," read a PCB statement.
The series of events could be repeated as both teams could meet twice more in the remainder of the tournament.
Suryakumar had earlier justified the decision to not shake hands with the opposition, saying it was their way of showing solidarity with the families of the Pahalgam terrorist attack victims.
Twenty six Indian tourists were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists, prompting India to launch Operation Sindoor in retaliation.
"We took a team call. We had come only to play. We had given them a reply. 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," said Suryakumar after the emphatic win.
The arch-rivals faced each other on a cricket ground for the first time since the dastardly attack in Kashmir and the ensuing military action by India on terror infrastructure across Pakistan in May.
It turned out to be a no contest with India outplaying Pakistan in all departments.
Even at the toss, Suryakumar did not interact or shake hands with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha.
That also did not go down well with the Pakistan team management and post the no handshake incident at the end of the game, Salman boycotted the match presentation ceremony.
"We wanted to shake hands but disappointed that the opposition didn't do that. Disappointed with the way we played, but we wanted to shake hands," Paksitan head coach Mike Hesson said later.
"Salman not coming for the post-match presentation was cause and effect after what happened," he added.
On what transpired at the toss, the PCB added: "The match referee Andy Pycroft had asked captain Salman Ali Agha, at the time of the toss, not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart.
"The Pakistan team management has lodged a protest, calling the behaviour against the spirit of sports."
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
