Web Desk; The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly dismissed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) complaint calling for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft during the ongoing Asia Cup, Indian media claimed on Tuesday.
The complaint stemmed from the heated Pakistan-India clash in Dubai on Sunday, where the customary handshake between captains was skipped at the toss.
According to Press Trust of India (PTI), the ICC conveyed to PCB late Monday night that Pycroft would not be removed and that their plea had been rejected.
However, Cricbuzz reported that PCB has denied receiving any such official communication. The board has yet to issue a formal statement.
The PCB’s grievance alleged that Pycroft violated the “Spirit of Cricket” by instructing both captains not to shake hands. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi asserted that the referee had breached ICC’s Code of Conduct and MCC Laws. However, The Times of India claimed that the no-handshake directive came from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials present at the ground, not Pycroft himself.
Despite the dispute, PCB insiders told TOI that it is “very unlikely” Pakistan will withdraw from the Asia Cup. Pycroft is also set to officiate the Pakistan-UAE game, according to the ACC schedule.
The controversy escalated after India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates refused handshakes both at the toss and after the match, which India won by seven wickets. In the post-match ceremony, Yadav linked the win to April’s terror attack in Pahalgam and India’s brief conflict with Pakistan in May, dedicating the victory to the Indian armed forces. His remarks drew sharp criticism in Pakistan, where national players and analysts described the behavior as politicizing cricket.
Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the press conference in protest, while coach Mike Hesson labeled India’s conduct “disappointing.”
