Nigar Sultana's Handshake Controversy After Asia Cup Semi-Final
Nigar Sultana’s refusal to shake hands with Harmanpreet Kaur after Bangladesh’s Asia Cup semi-final defeat has split opinion across the region. Inside the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the line is clear: this was her call, and her call alone.
Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairman of the BCB women’s committee, backed his captain’s right to act on her own instincts, but stopped well short of turning it into official policy.
“Of course, it was her own decision (not to shake hands with Harmanpreet),” Babu said. “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 the absence of one — came against a charged regional backdrop. Since last year’s men’s Asia Cup, Indian captains have not shaken hands with their Pakistani counterparts, a small but highly visible extension of the political tensions between the two countries. Nigar, after a 40-run defeat to India while chasing 150, chose to step into similarly fraught territory.
This time, though, there is no state line to follow. No directive from above. Just a captain, a lost semi-final, and a decision that has now placed her leadership under a harsher spotlight than any scorecard could.
Board distances itself, captain under review
Babu made it clear the board will not carry the can for the post-match flashpoint. The BCB wants diplomacy, not drama.
Yet the incident has not been brushed aside. Complaints have been lodged against Nigar for misconduct, and her position as captain is no longer untouchable.
“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,” Babu said.
The message is blunt: the Asian Games will be an audition, not just another tournament.
“First, we will see how the team performs at the Asian Games, then decide what needs to be done,” he added.
Performance problems run deeper
This is not only about a handshake. It is about a team that, in the eyes of its own administrators, has stalled when it needed to surge.
“There are many shortcomings in the team. We have not been able to beat the bigger teams,” Babu admitted. “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.”
Those “small mistakes” have become a recurring theme. Promising performances, narrow margins, familiar frustrations. The semi-final against India followed that script: a chase that never quite caught fire, a 40-run gap that felt larger than the numbers suggested, and then a captain making a statement that had nothing to do with bat or ball.
For Nigar, the next few weeks will define more than just her form. The Asian Games now carry a double weight: a chance for Bangladesh to prove they can close the gap on the top sides, and a test of whether their captain is still the right figurehead for that climb.
The board has made its stance clear. The decision in the semi-final was hers. The decision on her future will be theirs.
