Ricky Ponting denies making "India sore loser" remark, says he made no comments on Asia Cup

Australian legend Ricky Ponting on Tuesday clarified that he has made no public comments on the on going Asia Cup, following viral social media posts claiming he called India a "sore loser" for refusing to shake hands after the match against Pakistan.


On Monday, a few social media posts claimed that Ponting, while speaking on Sky Sports, had said "This match will be remembered forever with India as big loser. The way the Pakistani team wanted to shake hands at the end has immortalised them as champions of the gentleman's game with India as perpetual sore loser."

India vs Pakistan shake hand row

India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Following the match, Suryakumar Yadav and his team declined the customary handshake and avoided interaction with their opponents. Pakistan captain Salman Agha and coach Mike Hesson expressed displeasure over the incident. Agha also skipped the post-match presentation, refusing to interact with former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar. Speaking after the win, Suryakumar Yadav said he dedicated the victory to the Indian Armed Forces and added that the handshake was avoided as some matters are beyond the “sportsman spirit.”


The PCB has called for Pycroft’s immediate removal, accusing the official of staying silent during the controversy. Pycroft is currently scheduled to officiate Pakistan’s next match against the UAE. If Pakistan carry out their threat, they will be eliminated from the tournament.