Mohammad Amir stirs the pot ahead of India-Pakistan rematch amid no-handshake drama: 'Virat Kohli best human being'
Mohammad Amir shared a picture with Virat Kohli, calling him the best Indian cricketer and human being.
The rematch is almost upon us. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will once again square off in the Super 4s stage of the Asia Cup as the two heavyweights get ready to take the field at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Tempers are expected to flare after what happened on September 14 during the group stage encounter. Suryakumar Yadav's India refused to shake hands with the opponents, and the fallout has led to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and International Cricket Council (ICC) going on a collision course.
Amid all this drama, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir stirred the pot by sharing a picture with Virat Kohli on social media, calling him the "best human being." Amir shared the picture from the 2016 T20 World Cup, where Kohlin gifted him a bat right before the match between the two teams at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
This remark might be a compliment for the former India captain, but it can surely be taken as a dig at the current Indian team, who were embroiled in the no-handshake saga.
“One thing is for sure, Virat is the best player and best human being in Indian cricket history, respect,” Amir wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The aftermath of the no-handshake saga saw repeated emails being exchanged between the bodies, and now PCB is running the risk of being punished after the Mohsin Naqvi-led board was found guilty of multiple PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area) violations.
{{/usCountry}}The aftermath of the no-handshake saga saw repeated emails being exchanged between the bodies, and now PCB is running the risk of being punished after the Mohsin Naqvi-led board was found guilty of multiple PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area) violations.
{{/usCountry}}It all started with the PCB writing to the ICC, asking for match referee Andy Pycroft to be removed for the remainder of the tournament. The PCB alleged that the senior official from Zimbabwe failed to do his job in maintaining the spirit of cricket.
However, the ICC turned down the request twice, and Pycroft officiated in Pakistan's recent Group A match against the UAE on Friday.
Pycroft's alleged apology
Right before the start of the game against the UAE, the PCB issued a statement claiming that Pycroft apologised to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, coach Mike Hesson, and the team manager for failing to inform them about no handshakes before the match against India.
The PCB also shared a video, albeit without any audio, showcasing Pycroft having a conversation with all the concerned parties. However, the ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta wrote an email to the cricket body, saying the PCB breached the PMOA regulations.
It must be stated that no one is allowed to carry a phone and record proceedings inside the PMOA, as it is a breach of the Anti-Corruption Code. Now, it needs to be seen whether the ICC sanctions the PCB over this serious breach.
