Tempers were high during the India-Pakistan Group A match in Dubai on Sunday, September 14.
The Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav first refused handshakes with Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha during the toss. The rest of the Indian team also followed the same procedure at the end of the match -- refusing to engage with the Pakistan players.
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The match was being played under high pressure from fans, who called for a boycott after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year triggered the cross-border tensions between the nations.
While the whole of Pakistan's cricket community expressed displeasure regarding the handshake saga, former captain and coach Misbah-ul-Haq warned the cricketing world about the sport's future as the BCCI continues to grow as a financial powerhouse.
Misbah questions world cricket's silence on India-Pakistan Asia Cup controversy
Speaking during a segment on the show Tapmad, Misbah raised his concerns after no big names in the cricket world spoke up against India. He suggested their hesitation stemmed from the fear of losing financial backing and opportunities to do future stints in India.
Currently, BCCI is the richest board in the world, and the Indian Premier League's popularity continues to grow.
Misbah implied that most players desire to earn hefty IPL contracts, while ex-players' potential to earn big money through their association with the BCCI has led to the fraternity's silence, which Misbah called alarming.
"The biggest thing is, nobody from world cricket is saying anything. All the big stars and players — otherwise, when the slightest political or sports-related issue arises, everyone starts speaking up, but now that India is involved, everybody is quiet," he said.
"This is very alarming. It means you are only looking at things financially and not the long-term future [of the game]. There are so many big names; at least someone should come out and say something. How is this being allowed?" asked Misbah.
After ending his international career in 2017 after 75 Tests, 162 ODIs, and 39 T20Is, during which he scored over 11,000 runs at a career average of over 44, Misbah is now seen as a pundit on various Pakistani shows.
In 2019, he was also appointed as Pakistan's head coach as well as the chief selector. His supposed three-year stint ended with him resigning mid-2021, following a string of poor results.