Follow UsThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) claimed that match referee Andy Pycroft apologised to the team manager and captain Salman Ali Agha before the delayed Asia Cup 2025 clash against the UAE in Dubai on September 17 (Wednesday). However, a Cricbuzz report suggested it was “more of a clarification than an apology."
The controversy stemmed from Pakistan’s match against India on September 14, when Suryakumar Yadav and Co. did not shake hands with their opponents. The PCB, unhappy with the incident, wrote to the ICC, accusing India of violating the spirit of cricket.
The tensions carried additional weight, given the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack, which had led to calls in India to boycott Pakistan. The Indian government, however, allowed the match to go ahead, stating that engagements in World Cups and Asia Cups would continue.
After India thrashed Pakistan by seven wickets and avoided the post-match handshake, the PCB lodged a complaint against Pycroft, accusing him of enabling India’s actions. The board even demanded his removal as match referee. But the ICC not only refused to drop him, it also criticised the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for stirring up “unnecessary ruckus.”
In protest, Pakistan players and coaching staff initially refused to board the team bus for their match against the UAE, leading to a one-hour delay. Eventually, they agreed to play, with Pycroft still officiating.
“Sources suggest it was more of a clarification than an apology, with the referee expressing regret over any miscommunication in the September 14 handshake episode. Curiously enough, the video of the incident [which has now been deleted], circulated by the PCB, contained no audio,” Vijay Tagore reported for Cricbuzz.
“Over the past couple of days, the ICC and PCB were engaged in a flurry of emails, phone conversations, and video calls, with the central issue being the PCB's demand for the removal of Pycroft from the panel of referees for the Asia Cup - a condition it declared non-negotiable for its continued participation. Not only did Pycroft remain on the panel, he also went on to officiate the contentious game on Wednesday night. The demand was decisively rejected during all those rounds of deliberations.
“A change of umpire, the ICC feared, would have set a dangerous precedent. It conveyed this message unambiguously to the PCB that the appointment of match officials is a centralised ICC decision and cannot be influenced by the interests of any member board.
“For all the ultimatums and pullout threats, it would not have been easy for the PCB to actually withdraw. Such a move would likely have triggered a series of legal disputes, court cases and arbitrations, dealing a significant financial blow to its coffers.”
Still, the PCB projected a “moral victory” in its official statement: "The ICC has expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match. The ICC's match referee, Andy Pycroft, apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Pycroft had barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands before the match, and the PCB strongly objected to his actions."
In Lahore, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said: "This crisis has been going on since the match against India. We had an objection to Pycroft's conduct. This matter was only solved after Pycroft apologised over miscommunication at the toss. Cricket and politics cannot go together."
Pakistan went on to defeat the UAE by 41 runs, securing their place in the Super Four.