Glenn Maxwell clarified that the act was totally unintentional. (Source: AP)
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has admitted that his act of snubbing a handshake to Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed after the final of the T20I tri-series in Harare was an “unsportsmanlike” gesture. However, Maxwell was quick to add that it was a case of “genuine oversight”. Footage of Maxwell walking past Sarfraz’s outstretched hand went viral after which the Australian star faced a lot of social media backlash. showing Maxwell walk past the Pakistan captain, who had his hand exchanged ready for a handshake. before going on to shake hands with other members of the Pakistan team. Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was heard via on-field microphones uttering an obscenity towards Glenn Maxwell after the handshake snub.
Clarifying that the act was totally unintentional, Maxwell posted a message on social media and wrote, “Congrats to Pakistan on their win yesterday, Fakhar Zaman and Shoaib Malik were unstoppable. Sad note to end our tour of Zimbabwe, but still plenty of positives to take out of it.”
“In regards to the incident shown post-match, it appears unsportsmanlike, and certainly not the way I play a game. It was a genuine oversight on my behalf and I’m currently looking for Sarfraz in the hotel to shake his hand and congratulate him and his team for the series win. #wellplayed,” he added.
— Glenn Maxwell (@Gmaxi_32) 9 July 2018
After the ball tampering scandal in South Africa in March, newly appointed coach Justin Langer had emphasised that the current Australian side would embark on a new era of respectful cricket. However, Maxwell’s incident will once again raise questions whether the Kangaroos have any intention of walk the talk or if it was mere lip-service.
In the wake of the, new test captain Tim Paine vowed his
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell fails to shake hands with #Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed after #T20TriSeries final defeat See the video below & make your own judgment. #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/QgfcL8oBxk
— Rameez R. Merchant (@rameezgemini) 8 July 2018
Meanwhile, Pakistan beat Australia in the finals by six wickets. Chasing a daunting target of 184, it was Fakhar Zaman who smashes a career-best 91 to guide his team to an emphatic win.
Not shaking hands with Pak captain after winning the series its not a great example set by Glen Maxwell plus kids are watching his behaviour & looking up to him. Now-he should apologise to Pak team & Sarfraz ..
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) 9 July 2018
Expressing happiness over the efofrt put by his side, Sarfraz said, “It was a great team effort. Credit to the bowlers, the way they finished. Fakhar Zaman and Malik did the job for us. There were a couple of drop catches and misfielding. In the end, we bowled really well. If you talk about chasing 180+ in the final, it’s not an easy task. Fakhar Zaman has been playing well in the series. If you are number 1, there’s pressure to retain it. Credit to the boys and team management.”