Nigar Sultana's Handshake Snub: BCB to Review Captaincy After Asian Games

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has stepped into the storm around Nigar Sultana, but not to take the blame for her.

Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairman of the BCB women’s committee, has backed the right of the Bangladesh captain to refuse a post-match handshake with India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the Asia Cup semi-final – while making it equally clear the move was hers alone.

“Of course, it was her own decision (not to shake hands with Harmanpreet),” Babu said, drawing a firm line between player and board. “We believe sports bring the world together. We want friendly relations with all countries, not just India and so whatever she did was entirely her personal decision.”

The gesture – or lack of one – came out of nowhere. Since last year’s men’s Asia Cup, Indian captains have declined to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts because of political tensions between the two countries. On Thursday, Nigar appeared to insert herself into that fraught landscape, turning a routine end-of-match ritual into a flashpoint.

The backdrop on the field was already bruising for Bangladesh. Chasing 150 in the semi-final, they fell 40 runs short against India and exited the tournament. The defeat underlined a familiar problem: when the pressure rises against stronger opposition, Bangladesh have too often found themselves just off the pace.

Now the fallout has spilled beyond tactics and technique. Complaints have been lodged against Nigar for misconduct, and her position as captain is no longer guaranteed.

Babu confirmed that her leadership will come under formal review, but only after the team completes its campaign at the Asian Games.

“We have discussed the thing (performance and complaint) in total with the board president and since they are in Asian Games we will assess the situation after the conclusion of the games,” he said.

The message is blunt. Perform now, talk later.

“First, we will see how the team performs at the Asian Games, then decide what needs to be done,” Babu added. “There are many shortcomings in the team. We have not been able to beat the bigger teams. We played well in the World Cup too but lost because of small mistakes. We are working to make the team stronger and more competitive. After the Asian Games we will decide what can be done.”

So the captaincy question hangs in the air, unanswered but unavoidable. Nigar’s refusal to shake hands may have been a personal call, but the consequences of her choices – on and off the field – will be judged collectively when Bangladesh return from the Asian Games.