Prior to Pakistan’s Asia Cup match against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai, the International Cricket Council (ICC) emailed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to report misconduct and several infractions of the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) regulations.
The problem started after the September 14 India-Pakistan game, when the incident involving the no-handshake during the toss and after the game incited anger in Pakistan’s camp. Andy Pycroft, the match referee, was accused by the PCB of telling captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with India captain Suryakumar Yadav. Pakistan maintained that Pycroft had overreached himself, while India stated that the decision had been made as a show of support for the victims of the Pahalgam terror incident.
Pycroft apologises in a press release issued by PCB.
The PCB threatened to boycott its next match against the UAE unless the ICC cooperated with its demand that Pycroft be removed from the competition. Insisting that the referee had acted properly and was only delivering instructions given to him by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials just prior to the toss, the ICC denied the motion.
The match started an hour late because PCB postponed the team’s departure from its hotel prior to the Pakistan-UAE match. The ICC permitted Pycroft, head coach Mike Hesson, and captain Salman to meet in order to settle the issue. Naeem Gillani, the media manager for Pakistan, was led into the Players and Match Officials Area in contravention of explicit rules.
ICC sources claim that Gillani violated PMOA regulations by trying to record the meeting in addition to insisting on attending it.
After the PCB threatened to pull out of the match, he was eventually permitted to film a silent video after being initially barred by anti-corruption officials. After that, the video went viral on social media.
In addition, the PCB said in a news release that Pycroft had expressed regret for his actions. This version is disputed by ICC officials, who emphasise that the referee did not admit wrongdoing but rather simply apologised for a misunderstanding.
The ICC wrote in a communication to the PCB that Pakistan’s conduct showed a total disrespect for the PMOA’s integrity. The PCB’s decision to release the video evidence and its false allegation about Pycroft’s involvement were also criticised by the international organisation.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta warned that disciplinary action was being contemplated and made it plain that repeated infractions of PMOA procedures could not be accepted. In order to avoid creating a risky precedent, the apex body emphasised that match officials are recruited centrally and cannot be dismissed at the request of a member board.
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