The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially turned down the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup 2025. The PCB had raised concerns over Pycroft’s conduct during Pakistan’s recent game against India, but the ICC has now made it clear that their request will not be accepted.
The issue started during the toss between Pakistan and India. According to PCB, Pycroft told Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, not to shake hands with India skipper Suryakumar Yadav. This upset the PCB, which believed the referee was favouring India.
However, ICC has explained that Pycroft was only following instructions from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials present at the venue. They had already decided there would be no handshakes at the toss, and Pycroft was simply passing along the message. ICC further clarified that Pycroft was not acting on India’s behalf.
The controversy gained momentum after the match when Indian players were seen avoiding handshakes with the Pakistan team. This added fuel to PCB’s frustration, leading them to accuse Pycroft of breaking the “Code of Conduct” and demand his removal from the tournament.
Despite Pakistan’s strong protest, ICC stood firm. Their official response dismissed the PCB’s allegations and confirmed Pycroft will continue as match referee for upcoming matches, including Pakistan’s next fixture. This has now created a tense situation.
Reports suggest Pakistan has threatened to boycott their Group A clash against the UAE if Pycroft is not removed. The stakes are high; if Pakistan refuses to play, it will be eliminated from the Asia Cup 2025. Currently, both Pakistan and the UAE have two points each in Group A.
UAE’s recent win over Oman means they are level with Pakistan, and a forfeit by Pakistan would hand UAE the advantage, knocking Pakistan out of the competition. Meanwhile, Pakistan will play their next game against the UAE, scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
