Women’s T20 World Cup: I don’t know what the reason behind not shaking hands was, says Pakistan head coach Wahab Riaz

Before and after every recent India-Pakistan cricket match, there is one certainty: a question on handshake. Before Sunday’s (June 14, 2026) Women’s T20 World Cup game, Harmanpreet Kaur had faced that query, as did Deepti Sharma after India’s comprehensive win.

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Pakistan’s coach Wahab Riaz was also asked about the absence of handshakes. “I don’t know what the reason behind not shaking hands was,” he said. “But if things are going to be like this, let it go like that. It won’t make a big difference.”

He admitted Pakistan could not make use of the opportunities that were there for his team. “We really went well in the PowerPlay but needed to score seven or eight runs an over for the next three or four overs without losing wickets,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we lost five wickets in a row. In a T20 game, it is very difficult to make a comeback after that.”

He rued the bowlers conceding too many runs to India in the death overs. “Giving away runs in the last two overs cost us the game,” Wahab said. “Richa Ghosh got the opportunity and she made the most of it. In T20 cricket, you have to win the PowerPlay and the last four overs. I think they are the most important phases of the game.”

The coach said there were positives still from the game. “The way they fought with the ball and the glimpses we showed with the bat,” he said. “We just need to make less mistakes, believe in ourselves and play more positive cricket”.