Handshake drama: Ramiz Raja and Aamer Sohail take a dig at India as Pakistan and South Africa exchange courtesies | Cricket News
Twice in just two days, the Pakistani teams received handshakes and high fives from their opponents, something you don’t often see with a Pakistani team these days. First, the Indian men’s junior hockey team gave high fives and handshakes to their Pakistani counterparts after a match. Less than 24 hours later, the Pakistan cricket team inflicted a 93-run defeat on reigning world champions South Africa in the first Test in Lahore, ending the Proteas’ 10-game winning streak – and was again greeted with handshakes. Yet the celebrations were tinged with lingering resentment. On-air commentators Ramiz Raja and Aamer Sohail took the opportunity to bring India back into the conversation, revisiting last month’s Asia Cup controversy. During that tournament, Indian players had refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts three times, sparking tensions that continued even after India scored a five-wicket victory in Dubai to claim their ninth Asia Cup title. Aamer Sohail said, “It’s good to see both teams shaking hands. It’s not in fashion these days.” Ramiz Raja added: “This is getting out of hand”, before emphasizing the tradition of sportsmanship in cricket and the importance of being “gentlemanly and fair”, even going so far as to attack South Africa in the process. On the field, Pakistan’s victory was emphatic. Shaheen Afridi led the bowling effort with 4/33, while left-arm spinner Noman Ali finished with 4/79 to bowl out South Africa for 183. Earlier, Tony de Zorzi’s maiden Test century and a fifty from Ryan Rickleton had propelled the Proteas to 269, still behind Pakistan’s first innings total of 378. Salman Agha and Imam Ul Haq both scored 93, narrowly missing out on hundreds, while Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan added crucial half-centuries. Pakistan’s second innings failed at just 167, but Noman Ali once again topped South Africa’s middle order, taking 6/112 and equaling Senuran Muthuswamy’s previous score of 6/117.
