Ais Cup 2025 match referee Andy Pycroft. — AFP
The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) request to take away match referee Andy Pycroft from the continued Asia Cup, Indian media reported on Tuesday.
Based on the experiences, the ICC formally knowledgeable the PCB of its resolution final evening, dismissing Pakistan’s stance that Pycroft had acted on the behest of the Indian group.
The PCB had filed an official criticism with the ICC accusing Pycroft of violating the “Spirit of Cricket” by allegedly asking the Pakistan and India captains to not shake arms on the toss earlier than their Asia Cup 2025 fixture on Sunday.
The criticism additionally referred to the absence of the customary handshake between the 2 sides after the match.
There are experiences of a risk of ICC match refree Richard Richardson being appointed because the match referee for Pakistan’s upcoming Asia Cup fixtures, although no official affirmation has been made.
Sources earlier stated Pakistan was contemplating withdrawing from the match if its demand was not met, describing the subsequent few hours as essential for future deliberations.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is predicted to seek the advice of senior authorities officers in Lahore later as we speak to debate the board’s subsequent plan of action.
The controversy arose after Pakistan and India captains averted handshake on the toss throughout their September 14 Asia Cup 2025 fixture, an omission reportedly directed by match refree Pycroft.
The identical was repeated in direction of the top of the match, when the gamers of the opposing groups shake arms as per cricketing custom, the place the Indian group skipped the customary post-match handshake.
Whereas the Indian gamers congratulated one another on the dugout after the match, they avoided acknowledging or shaking arms with the Pakistani group.
Pakistan’s gamers lined up anticipating the customary handshake, solely to see the Indian group retreat and shut the dressing room doorways.
India’s victorious captain, Suryakumar, defended his group’s resolution to not shake arms with the Pakistan gamers saying that it was taken in alignment with their authorities and cricket board.
“We are aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Some things are above sportsmanship. Is it really sportsmanship if you don’t even shake hands with the opposing team? That was our answer,” he stated.
The transfer prompted a powerful response from the cricketing fraternity in addition to Mohsin Naqvi, who heads each the PCB and can also be the serving head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Not solely did Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, in protest, refused to attend the post-match presentation ceremony, breaking from broadcast norms the place captains often share their ideas, the PCB has filed a proper criticism with the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Membership (MCC), calling for the removing of match referee Andy Pycroft from the continued Asia Cup 2025 — for reportedly instructing the omission of the customary handshake.
Other than taking over the matter with the ICC, the PCB has additionally come down laborious by itself Director of Worldwide Cricket Usman Wahla and has suspended him over failure to promptly ahead an official letter to the ICC in regards to the Asia Cup handshake controversy.
The Sunday’s match, the primary ever for the reason that two nations have been concerned in an armed battle triggered by India’s cross-border assault, adopted by Pakistan’s retaliation and launch of “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”.
The hostilities left greater than 70 individuals lifeless in missile, drone and artillery exchanges, earlier than a ceasefire was reached finally.
The neighbours haven’t met on both aspect’s soil in a bilateral sequence since 2012 and solely play one another in worldwide tournaments on impartial floor as a part of a compromise deal.
