A320 CAPTAIN FAILS TO RECEIVE EITHER A CLRNC TO START ENGINES OR A SALUTE; ADVISING IT WAS SAFE TO TAXI.

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OVERALL; THIS WAS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD WITH THE POTENTIAL TO INJURE GND PERSONNEL OR DAMAGE GND EQUIP. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THERE IS A TRAINING ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR PUSH CREW REGARDING SOP; REQUIRED COM; AND THE REASON A SALUTE IS REQUIRED AND WHAT IT MEANS. WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH BY THE TUG DRIVER AND WE RELEASED BRAKES NORMALLY AND THEN I TOLD HER WE WERE WAITING FOR A MAINT RELEASE MESSAGE DUE TO AN UNRELATED CABIN ITEM THAT WAS CLRED. ONCE WE HAD THE MAINT RELEASE MESSAGE WE BEGAN THE PUSH NORMALLY. I WAS MAKING AN EFFORT TO USE THE PRECISE COM SOP SINCE I READ THE LATEST SAFETY INFO ABOUT PUSHBACK ERRORS. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE BRAKES WERE SET AFTER THE PUSH. SHE SAID 'DISCONNECTING HEADSET. HAVE A GOOD FLT.' I ANSWERED WITH 'I SEE THAT YOU DISCONNECTED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING PIN SO YOU ARE CLRED TO DISCONNECT HEADSET.' SHE DISCONNECTED AND PROCEEDED TO THE PLANE OVER-NIGHTING AT MY 7 O'CLOCK POS. ONE HELPER WENT WITH HER TO HOOK THE TOWBAR TO THAT PLANE; THE OTHER HELPER JUMPED IN A BAG TUG AND DROVE TO THE GATE PARKING SPACE; APPARENTLY WAITING FOR THE TUG TO RETURN WITH THE OVERNIGHT ACFT. I WAS WATCHING INTENTLY FOR THE SALUTE AND RELEASE AND NOBODY MADE A MOVE TO GIVE IT TO ME. I HAD DELAYED ENG START UNTIL PUSH COMPLETION SINCE WE WERE A LITTLE OUT OF SORTS DUE TO THE LATE MAINT RELEASE MESSAGE AND SINCE THINGS JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE GOING QUITE RIGHT. THE COPLT AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AFTER A MINUTE OR SO AS IT SUNK IN THAT NOBODY WAS GOING TO RELEASE US. WE CALLED OPS AND RELAYED THE PROB. SOMEONE FROM OPS CAME OUT ON ANOTHER BAG TUG; HOPPED OFF; CHKED OUT THE AREA AROUND THE PLANE; THEN GAVE US THE SALUTE AND RELEASE SIGNAL. WE THEN STARTED AND TAXIED NORMALLY.