After India, ICC snubs Pakistan, rejects its demand to remove match referee amid handshake controversy
PTC News Desk: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the remainder of the Asia Cup.
Pakistan had earlier written a letter to the apex body holding Pycroft responsible for the no-handshake no-handshake fiasco that sparked fresh tensions between the two arch-rivals.
The apex body had conveyed the decision to the PCB following investigation into the matter.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed strong displeasure over India’s conduct. Team manager Naved Cheema lodged a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), chaired by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, alleging that referee Chris Pycroft was responsible for sparking the handshake controversy at the toss. The PCB later escalated the matter to the ICC, even threatening to withdraw from the tournament if Pycroft was not removed from the referees’ panel.
"The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup," Naqvi said on 'X'.
While the ICC has not made an official statement, a Cricbuzz report indicated that the governing body is unlikely to entertain PCB’s demand, as it found no solid grounds for action and considered Pycroft’s role in the episode to be minimal.
Meanwhile, reports from Dubai suggested that the PCB suspended its Director of International Cricket Operations, Usman Wahla, after Pakistan’s seven-wicket loss to India in the 2025 Asia Cup. According to Pakistani media, the Naqvi-led board disciplined Wahla for allegedly “failing to take timely action” regarding the handshake row that overshadowed the marquee clash.
- PTC NEWS
