The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has clarified the incident in which the acting Bangladeshi captain did not shake hands with the Indian captain during the Under-19 ICC World Cup toss, calling it an unintentional mistake.
According to the BCB, the acting captain, Javad Abrar, did not deliberately snub Indian captain Ayush Mehatre. The board said Abrar’s attention was elsewhere at the moment, resulting in the handshake being missed. Bangladesh’s regular captain, Azizul Haqueem, was unable to play due to illness, which led to Abrar taking the on-field responsibilities.
The BCB statement emphasized that shaking hands at the toss is the responsibility of players and reaffirmed the board’s commitment to sportsmanship and the spirit of the game. It also denied any notion that the incident was driven by ill intent or protest.
The moment went viral on social media, prompting speculation and discussions about tensions between the two teams. The incident has also been linked in public discourse to ongoing tensions between the Indian and Bangladesh cricket boards regarding the exclusion of left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL.