Former Pakistan captain and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, has called match referee Andy Pycroft a “fixer” and accused him of being biassed in favour of India. Ramiz made the remarks following Pakistan’s protests and tardiness to their Asia Cup 2025 match against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai on Wednesday, September 17.
Suryakumar Yadav and his team’s refusal to shake hands with their Pakistani opponents during their previous encounter against India on September 14 sparked the controversy. India was accused of violating the spirit of cricket by the PCB, which voiced its disapproval and filed a protest. Additionally, they demanded that Pycroft be removed from his position as match referee, a demand that the ICC finally denied, and accused him of helping India evade the handshake.
The UAE game started an hour later than scheduled because Pakistan’s players and support staff first refused to get on the team bus. In the end, they decided to play, with Pycroft continuing to serve as the referee.
For us, it is a victory. It was a dire circumstance. There were strong feelings. I’m glad we avoided making a snap decision. We would have suffered if we had followed through on the boycott decision. I’ve always held the opinion that our cricket squad should speak for itself.
The Hindustan Times cited Ramiz Raja, as saying, “The frustration should be shown on the pitch and it should inspire us to do better.”
“What Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said in the post-match presentation was my main point of contention. The crucial element was that editorial. It’s good if the apology has arrived. Nothing will get done if cricket becomes a political platform.
“All I want is for our cricket team to do better. Andy Pycroft has always been my favourite member of Team India. When it comes to the Indian team, I believe he is a constant fixer over there. Ninety Indian games have been overseen by him. This is obviously one-sided, and it shouldn’t be that way. This platform is impartial. Anyway, I just hope common sense wins out.
Pakistan secured their spot in the Super Four after defeating the United Arab Emirates by 41 runs on the pitch. Their next match is against India on Sunday, September 21.
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