The PCB claims Andy Pycroft apologised to captain Salman Agha and coach Mike Hesson over the handshake incident during the India match. They have relased a video of the same, but no audio was provided to understand the details of the conversation.
The Asia Cup clash between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday faced a tense delay of 60 minutes, following a dispute involving the match referee, Andy Pycroft. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had demanded Pycroftโs removal after allegations that he barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during their recent match, sparking concerns over the spirit of the game.
The controversy began after Sundayโs high-profile India-Pakistan encounter, when the Indian players declined to shake hands with Pakistanโs team at the toss and the conclusion of the match. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha boycotted the post-match presentation in protest, although coach Mike Hesson attended the press conference. The PCB accused Pycroft of instructing Agha that handshakes would not be allowed, a move the board claimed violated the MCCโs laws.
In response, the PCB lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, calling for Pycroftโs removal from the Asia Cup fixtures. Despite these demands, the ICC retained Pycroft as match referee for the crucial Pakistan-UAE game, creating uncertainty over whether the match would proceed as scheduled.
What happened on September 17?
Tensions escalated on Wednesday when the Pakistan team was held back at their hotel past their original departure time of 4:30 pm local time. Key PCB officials, including ACC and PCB head Mohsin Naqvi, held late-night discussions with former PCB chairmen Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi to determine the way forward. Eventually, Naqvi announced the team would travel to the Dubai International Stadium, arriving shortly before the delayed toss at 7 pm.
Meanwhile, ahead of the match, the PCB released a statement claiming that Pycroft had apologised to Pakistanโs manager and captain for the incident during the India-Pakistan game. They also noted that ICC has expressed willingness to investigate the code of conduct violation linked to the refereeโs actions on September 14. Pakistan media released a video of the same as well, but nothing was confirmed.
The Pakistan-UAE match finally went ahead after the hour-long postponement, marking a resolution, at least temporarily, to the controversy that had threatened to overshadow Pakistanโs campaign in the Asia Cup.