ICC match referee Andy Pycroft officiated the Asia Cup 2025 match between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite concerns from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Notably, the ICC rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board’s push to remove Pycroft from officiating matches in the eight-team tournament.
The PCB had accused Pycroft of misconduct during the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan in Dubai on September 14. India captain Suryakumar Yadav declined to shake hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha at the toss. The Indian team also refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players after the win.
Pakistan Faced the UAE in the Asia Cup Despite Threatening Boycott Over Andy Pycroft Controversy
Pakistan played their Asia Cup clash against the United Arab Emirates after having threatened to boycott the match if the ICC refused to replace match referee Andy Pycroft following the no-handshake controversy with India.
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On Wednesday, the PCB delayed the game by an hour while continuing to demand Pycroft’s removal. However, the ICC rejected the PCB’s request and retained Pycroft as referee.
Notably, the PCB attempted damage control by releasing a statement that Pycroft had apologized for his conduct during the controversy.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi held lengthy talks with former chiefs Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi about whether to proceed with the boycott. Had they gone ahead, Pakistan would have been eliminated from the tournament.
Pakistan wants to Remove Andy Pycroft from Their Games in the Asia Cup 2025
According to RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan, Pakistan still wants to remove Andy Pycroft from their matches. He stated that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wants to prevent any political messaging during the tournament, and the board is preparing to escalate the case against Pycroft.
“Some more drama awaits 1 – Pakistan still wants to remove Andy Pycroft from their games 2 – Mohsin Naqvi wants no political messaging further in this tournament 3 – They are preparing more evidence for another level of enquiry to start the case vs Andy Pycroft,” Rohit wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Some more drama Awaits
1 – Pakistan still wants to remove Andy Pycroft from their games
2 – Mohsin Naqvi wants no political messaging further in this tournament
3 – They are preparing more evidences for another level of enquiry to start the case vs Andy Pycroft pic.twitter.com/Lt1ANy2ELW— Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) September 18, 2025
Suryakumar Yadav Dedicated a Seven-Wicket Victory to the Indian Armed Forces
Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the seven-wicket triumph to the Armed Forces and expressed solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Following the match, India’s players refused to exchange post-game handshakes. They also closed their dressing room door when Pakistan’s team attempted to greet them. India is expected to maintain the same stance when the two sides clash again in the Super 4s.
Meanwhile, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi came under criticism, with critics saying he appeared to forget his responsibility as head of the Asian Cricket Council, which is overseeing the tournament.
Many feel Pakistan should shift focus to improving on-field performances rather than concentrating on the handshake incident.
India and Pakistan have advanced to the Super Four stage of the tournament from Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are competing for a place from Group B.
Also read: Andy Pycroft accused of match-fixing for India by ex-Pakistan skipper
