This Asia Cup has charred the relationship between India and Pakistan players.
Most cricket fans in the UAE, despite their patriotic feelings, are not appreciative of any of the acts, starting from no handshakes to the actions of players with a political connotation.
In the UAE, India and Pakistan cricketers play together for various clubs and even live together in shared accommodation.
Pakistanis and Indians are coaches who train youngsters from both countries.
A Pakistan fan said in a video: 'We find it very funny as in labour camps here you can see Indians and Pakistanis eating food from the same plate. I wish this tournament ends quickly without creating hatred between each other.'
No Off Day For The Media
Monday was the first no-play day of the tightly scheduled Asia Cup 2025.
The time was used by players to recover, and some made visits to friends or relatives living in Dubai.
Those who benefitted the most from the off day were the organisers and staff who have been working relentlessly to get everything done in the hot and humid weather in which this tournament is being held.
However, there was no rest for the media, as stories continued to flow even well past midnight.
Bat As Gun And 6-0
Various interpretations of the gestures in the India-Pakistan match continue to emerge.
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf's 6-0 hand action was interpreted as six IAF aircraft allegedly shot down during Operation Sindoor by Pakistan.
Sahibzada Farhan's bat-as-gun style celebration on completing his half-century was seen as too insensitive.
Such an unusual celebration -- converting a bat into an AK-47 gun -- especially after the Pahalgam attack in India, where 26 innocents were gunned down by terrorists, evoked an uproar.
Adding to that, during the press conference on Monday prior to the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match, Farhan said he did not care how people perceived his action.
Will ICC Act Against Farhan, Rauf?
There were calls for the ICC to take action against Rauf and Farhan.
Following the India-Pakistan match, the ICC may now be forced to write down certain norms to be followed by teams in the future.
The question is, can converting a bat into a gun result in a fine, just like racquet abuse in tennis?
A Pakistan fan's observation was whether Rauf's 6-0 gesture as India's six IAF aircraft being allegedly shot down should instead be interpreted as Rauf stating that Abhishek Sharma's sixes were like M S Dhoni's helicopter shots.
When former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria stated that Abhishek and Shubman Gill launched Brahmos, many wondered what it was -- only to find that it was a long-range supersonic cruise missile.
Whatever the interpretations -- air force jet, helicopter, or Brahmos -- this Asia Cup has charred the relationship between India and Pakistan players, unlike in the past where they mixed freely despite fighting hard on the field.
Days Of Shaz and Waz
Two commentators for the India-Pakistan match were Ravi Shastri and Wasim Akram who had often come together for a cricket show called Shaz And Waz.
Akram was given the nickname Waz by Imran Khan, once Pakistan's cricket captain and later prime minister.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
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