Follow UsFormer Indian spinner Murali Kartik slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan cricket team, calling them “childish and churlish” for their protest and delayed arrival at the Asia Cup 2025 clash against the UAE in Dubai on September 17 (Wednesday).
The controversy stemmed from Pakistan’s earlier game against India on September 14, when Suryakumar Yadav and his team refused to shake hands with their rivals. The PCB, unhappy with the incident, wrote to the ICC, accusing India of breaching the spirit of cricket.
The board also filed a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of allowing India to avoid the handshake. The PCB even demanded his removal, but the ICC rejected the request.
In protest, Pakistan’s players and support staff initially refused to board the team bus for their match against the UAE, causing a one-hour delay. They eventually agreed to play, with Pycroft still in charge as referee.
“The only word I can think of right now is absolutely childish and churlish. I can’t think of anything else. If you wish to take a stand, please proceed. I think for everybody in life, you take a stand, but stick to it, have the conviction to stick to it,” Kartik told Cricbuzz.
Had Pakistan pulled out of the tournament, the PCB would have faced serious consequences, including legal disputes, arbitrations, and a heavy fine.
“Just because when you see, oh, there could be a financial implication, which literally is 16 million US dollars over a handshake saga or over something like this. I can’t think of anything. I think people in kindergarten, even kids in kindergarten nowadays, do not behave like this,” Kartik added.
The PCB later claimed that Pycroft apologised to team manager and captain Salman Ali Agha before the UAE game. But according to a Cricbuzz report, it was “more of a clarification than an apology.”
On the field, Pakistan went on to beat the UAE by 41 runs, booking their place in the Super Four. They will next face India on September 21 (Sunday).