Surya Kumar – the hand must be shaken!

So what if Indian players, fearing backlash from their own media, refused to shake hands with Pakistan? Let them. Pakistan must look inward after defeat, identify its own mistakes, correct them, and answer back the right way by winning on the field. By refusing to shake hands, the Indian team has only shown its timidity. In trying to please their media and domestic audience, they have ended up admitting their own weakness and defeat. After all, when you lose a war and resort to baseless accusations against Pakistan, the runaway Indian media quickly turns its fire on the easiest target their own team.

Now the responsibility rests with India. Whenever the hand is to be shaken, it will be theirs to shake and that is no small responsibility. What will happen tomorrow when Arshad Nadeem faces Neeraj Chopra in competition? What if Indian politicians meet their Pakistani counterparts? Even in the worst phases of relations, such petty refusal was never witnessed before. The Indian media’s venom now seems endless, directed not just outward but at their own.

Having failed in its boycott and walkout mission, the Indian media even targeted Surya Kumar Yadav asking why he shook hands or why he did not. If this were an official team policy, India would have followed it from the very start of the tournament. But they had already shaken hands, and only afterwards came the uproar: why was this hand shaken, and why was that hand denied?

Does anyone doubt that Sunil Gavaskar or Ravi Shastri are Indian in the commentary box? Do they not shake hands with Wasim Akram or other Pakistanis? Only recently Ishan Kishan warmly embraced Mohammad Abbas in county cricket. We must recognize India’s current predicament: their team cannot afford even a single defeat to a struggling Pakistan side, because the Indian media has already left its army battered with propaganda and now has the cricket team in its grip.

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Sport should be a bridge , a field where two nations and their people come closer. Boycotts, walkouts, avoiding eye contact, refusing to shake hands , let India indulge in such theatrics. Pakistan should not respond with negativity but with performance. Ironically, after Pakistan’s one-sided defeat there was not as much pressure on our team as there was on India’s, even after their big win. Their media had them by the throat.

So enough of the endless Babar and Rizwan debate. Pakistan must make the best out of the squad it has. In the current playing XI, at least two names — captain Salman and Faheem Ashraf — don’t quite fit, and one could add Mohammad Nawaz, still under pressure since that World T20 game in Australia against India. Salman, if he must play, needs to rotate strike and focus on singles. Saim and Haris must bide their time early and then unleash — both are blessed with natural talent, and if they fire against India, the Indian media will forget its own stars.

The new cricket is about scoring runs, not just playing with flair. Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Ali Agha should anchor — one of them must stay until the 15th over, working singles and punishing only bad balls. The finishing job then falls to Saim, Haris, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, and Shaheen Afridi in the final overs.

Mohammad Nawaz is not a big hitter and has repeatedly crumbled against India. Dropping him for Hussain Talat or Khushdil Shah would be wise. Faheem’s place should go to Haris Rauf or Mohammad Wasim. With Saim, Sufiyan, Abrar, and Salman Ali Agha available, there is no urgent need for another spinner, though Khushdil’s left-arm option can cover if required.

History shows that at different times even in World Cups stronger Pakistani teams have fallen to weaker Indian sides. This time the tables can turn. Pakistan can create the upset. Walk onto the field with heads held high, play with courage, and walk off with victory. Then watch: the very hands that refused to shake today will be stretched out tomorrow, offering respect and salute.