Finally, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) succeeded in their efforts, with Andy Pycroft being removed as the match referee for the Asia Cup Group A encounter against the UAE.
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PCB’s Attempts to Remove Pycroft Fail, Pakistan Plays UAE Match
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) efforts to have Andy Pycroft removed as match referee for the Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) proved unsuccessful. The senior Zimbabwe official, already at the centre of controversy following the no-handshake saga in the India-Pakistan match, remained on the roster for Wednesday’s game at Dubai International Stadium. Despite delaying the match by an hour, the PCB’s attempts yielded no results.
Pycroft was present at the toss alongside Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem, though no interaction occurred between Pycroft and Agha.
The controversy began on Sunday when India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav and his team refused to shake hands with Pakistan after their win. The tension extended to the toss, where no eye contact or handshakes took place between the captains. The PCB initially lodged a complaint with Pycroft over India’s behaviour and later escalated the matter to the ICC, claiming Pycroft failed to uphold the spirit of cricket.
Minutes later, however, the PCB confirmed the team would head to the venue, resulting in a one-hour delay to the match. Had Pakistan refused to play, the UAE would have claimed a walkover, eliminating Pakistan from the tournament.
What happened at the toss?
UAE captain Muhammad Waseem won the toss and chose to bowl first in the crucial Group A clash against Pakistan. Both teams entered the match with one win each in the eight-team tournament, sitting on two points apiece.
