On Wednesday, September 17, Andy Pycroft continued to officiate the Asia Cup 2025 match between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates in Match 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Regarding the last India-Pakistan match on Sunday, September 14, there has been a great deal of controversy around the former Zimbabwean player.
After the PCB accused Pycroft of breaking MCC’s rules regarding the Spirit of Cricket by asking the captains not to shake hands after the toss, the International Cricket Council (ICC) recently stated that Pycroft had done nothing wrong in his role as referee.
Earlier, the ICC affirmed that Pycroft managed the matter effectively and avoided a humiliating circumstance. The international administrative body made it clear that it has the final say over match officials and referees, and altering them under duress would create a negative precedent.
In a conference at the Dubai International Stadium, Pycroft, who ultimately remained the referee for the Pakistan-UAE match, called the no-handshake incident “miscommunication” and expressed regret to team manager Naveed Cheema, coach Mike Hesson, and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.
The board claimed in a press release that “ICC’s controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team.”
“During the India-Pakistan game, Andy Pycroft forbade the captains of both teams from shaking hands. Andy Pycroft’s action had prompted a harsh response from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“Andy Pycroft apologised and described the September 14 event as the consequence of a misunderstanding. The ICC has stated that it is prepared to look into the Code of Conduct infringement that occurred during the September 14 match.
Pakistan has been assigned to bat first in the current match. Given that India has already advanced to the Super Four from Group A, it is a game of life or death for both sides. In the competition, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates both overcame Oman, but they were soundly trounced by India.
The current match began around an hour past its planned start time, and the winner advances to the next round, while the loser is eliminated. Pakistan may withdraw from the match and the competition, according to earlier reports.
Saim Ayub left for his third duck of the competition with a score of 0 off 2. In Pakistan’s opening two games against Oman and India, the left-handed batsman was removed on the first ball. Sahibzada Farhan (5 off 12) did the same in the meantime. The right-arm pace of Junaid Siddique rejected both batters.
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