Women’s Asia Cup: Nigar Sultana’s handshake snub to Harmanpreet Kaur backfires as BCB distances itself, puts captaincy under review | cricket news

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana’s decision to skip the traditional handshake with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur at the Women’s Asia Cup semi-final draw has left her own cricket board distancing itself from the gesture.The incident occurred before Bangladesh’s 40-run loss to India, and Nigar refused to shake Harmanpreet’s hand during the pre-match proceedings. While the move immediately attracted attention amid recent tensions surrounding handshakes in India-Pakistan cricket, the Bangladesh Cricket Board made it clear that the captain’s decision was not sanctioned by the board.Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairperson of the BCB women’s committee, said Nigar acted on her own and insisted the board remained committed to maintaining cordial relations with all cricketing nations.“Of course, it was his own decision (not to shake Harmanpreet’s hand),” Babu said. “We believe that sports unites the world. We want friendly relations with all countries, not just India, so everything she did was her totally personal decision.”

BCB distances itself from Nigar’s decision

Babu’s clarification effectively ruled out any suggestion that Bangladesh had adopted a broader no-handshake policy, similar to that seen in the recent men’s matches between India and Pakistan.Nigar’s decision came against the backdrop of rising political tensions between India and Pakistan, which had spilled over into cricket after last year’s men’s Asia Cup. Indian captains subsequently avoided shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts, making the Bangladesh captain’s gesture particularly notable when she followed a similar route against India.However, the BCB has stressed that there was no board directive behind Nigar’s decision.Now attention appears to have shifted from the toss incident to the captain’s future, with the board confirming that her position will be evaluated after the Asian Games.

Nigar’s captaincy under review

Babu revealed that complaints had also been made against Nigar for alleged misconduct, adding another layer of uncertainty around his leadership.“We have discussed the matter (performance and complaint) fully with the board president and since it is Asian Games, we will evaluate the situation after the conclusion of the games,” he said.“We will first see how the team performs in the Asian Games and then decide what needs to be done,” Babu added.The comments suggest that Nigar’s future will be determined not by the handshake controversy, but by Bangladesh’s actions and the complaints leveled against it.

Bangladesh falls short against India

On the field, Bangladesh could not match India in the semi-final. Chasing 150, they were bowled out for a 40-run defeat, ending their campaign and sending India to the final.Babu acknowledged that Bangladesh continues to struggle against stronger sides despite showing signs of improvement.“There are many deficiencies in the team. We have not been able to beat the bigger teams. We also played well in the World Cup, but we lost due to small mistakes,” he said.“We are working to make the team stronger and more competitive. After the Asian Games we will decide what can be done,” he concluded.