Meanwhile, Pakistan have cancelled their press conference, which was scheduled ahead of UAE clash
\n dubai
\nThe International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down Pakistan Cricket Board\u2019s (PCB) request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup, Indian media reported on Tuesday.
\nAccording to the reports, the ICC formally informed the PCB of its decision last night, dismissing Pakistan\u2019s stance that Pycroft had acted at the behest of the Indian team.
\nThe PCB had filed an official complaint with the ICC, accusing Pycroft of violating the \u201cSpirit of Cricket\u201d by allegedly asking the Pakistan and India captains not to shake hands at the toss before their Asia Cup 2025 fixture on Sunday.
\nThe complaint also referred to the absence of the customary handshake between the two sides after the match.
\nThere are reports of a possibility of ICC match referee Richard Richardson being appointed as the match referee for Pakistan\u2019s upcoming Asia Cup fixtures, though no official confirmation has been made.
\nSources earlier said Pakistan was considering withdrawing from the tournament if its demand was not met, describing the next few hours as crucial for future deliberations.
\nPCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to consult senior government officials in Lahore later today to discuss the board\u2019s next course of action.
\nThe controversy arose after Pakistan and India captains avoided a handshake at the toss during their September 14 Asia Cup 2025 fixture, an omission reportedly directed by match referee Pycroft.
\nThe same was repeated towards the end of the match, when the players of the opposing teams shook hands as per cricketing tradition, where the Indian team skipped the customary post-match handshake.
\nWhile the Indian players congratulated each other at the dugout after the match, they refrained from acknowledging or shaking hands with the Pakistani team.
\nPakistan\u2019s players lined up expecting the customary handshake, only to see the Indian team retreat and close the dressing room doors.
\nIndia\u2019s victorious captain, Suryakumar, defended his team\u2019s decision not to shake hands with the Pakistan players, saying that it was taken in alignment with their government and cricket board.
\n\u201cWe are aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Some things are above sportsmanship. Is it really sportsmanship if you don\u2019t even shake hands with the opposing team? That was our answer,\u201d he said.
\nThe move prompted a strong reaction from the cricketing fraternity as well as Mohsin Naqvi, who heads both the PCB and is also the serving head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
\nNot only did Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, in protest, refused to attend the post-match presentation ceremony, breaking from broadcast norms where captains usually share their thoughts, the PCB has filed a formal complaint with the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), calling for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 \u2014 for reportedly instructing the omission of the customary handshake.
\nApart from taking up the matter with the ICC, the PCB has also come down hard on its own Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla, and has suspended him over failure to promptly forward an official letter to the ICC concerning the Asia Cup handshake controversy.
\nThe Sunday\u2019s match, the first ever since the two countries were involved in an armed conflict triggered by India\u2019s cross-border attack, followed by Pakistan\u2019s retaliation and launch of \u201cOperation Bunyan-um-Marsoos\u201d.
\nThe hostilities left more than 70 people dead in missile, drone, and artillery exchanges, before a ceasefire was eventually reached.
\nThe neighbours have not met on either side\u2019s soil in a bilateral series since 2012 and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral ground as part of a compromise deal.
\nPakistan cancel pre-match presser
\nThe Asia Cup Media Office has officially announced that Pakistan will not be holding their pre-match press conference today.
\nThe briefing had been scheduled for 8:30pm PST at Dubai Cricket Stadium, ahead of Pakistan\u2019s group match against the UAE on September 17.
\nMeanwhile, the UAE squad continues preparations at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai, where they are training for the much-anticipated clash with Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Meanwhile, Pakistan have cancelled their press conference, which was scheduled ahead of UAE clash dubai The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down Pakistan Cricket Board\u2019s (PCB) request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup, Indian media reported on Tuesday. According to the reports, the ICC formally informed the PCB of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":503311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-503297","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n