We’re being told by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the Indian team’s decision to refuse to shake hands with Pakistan players is a massive moral rebuke. A gesture that conveys the disapproval of a nation.

The BCCI is hoping to redeem its reputation through this snub. Let’s be clear: Team India’s “handshake snub" cannot whitewash the BCCI’s original sin. And that, very simply, is having normalised Pakistan-sponsored terror by playing against Pakistan.

The BCCI and its backers in the NDA government argue that the board had no option. Not playing Pakistan in a multilateral tournament would have meant that Team India would be disqualified from the Asia Cup under International Cricket Council rules.........

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