Blind women from India and Pakistan brushed aside political tensions on Sunday, shaking hands in neutral Sri Lanka at a cricket tournament for the visually impaired.

At what organisers describe as the world’s first blind women’s T20 tournament, players from the two South Asian neighbours showed they had sporting vision even if they lacked sight — unlike their regular national teams.

Tensions off and on the field have been high since a deadly military clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.

India’s men refused to shake hands with their Pakistani opponents at the Asia Cup in September, since when neither side has shown signs of making up.

That animosity spread to the women’s sides who declined any greeting at the recent T20 World Cup and also to Sunday’s men’s Rising Stars Asi

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