After Andy Pycroft, Pakistan Complain About Asia Cup 3rd Umpire To ICC: Report

Pakistan’s cricket team management has reportedly complained to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the controversial dismissal of Fakhar Zaman during their Super Four match against India in the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.

The incident occurred when Zaman, who was promoted to the opening slot, was deemed caught behind by the television umpire.

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Hardik Pandya nicks one off Fakhar Zaman 🔥

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Was Fakhar Zaman Out?

On-field umpires Gazi Sohel and Ruchira Palliyaguruge were uncertain about the legality

of the catch after Zaman edged a delivery from Hardik Pandya, which flew to Sanju Samson. The decision was referred to the third umpire, Palliyaguruge, who, after reviewing multiple camera angles, ruled that Samson had cleanly taken the catch.

However, one angle suggested the ball might have bounced before being collected by the keeper. Fakhar, visibly displeased, briefly stood his ground and shook his head in disbelief before leaving the field, having scored 15 runs off 9 balls.

According to Pakistani media reports, their team manager, Naveed Cheema, raised his concerns with match referee Andy Pycroft, who reportedly informed him that such disputes fell beyond his jurisdiction.

Consequently, Cheema sent a formal email to the ICC questioning the decision and the process followed by the television umpire. Reports indicate that the Pakistan management argued that the evidence was not “clear and conclusive” enough to justify Zaman’s dismissal and claimed that not all available angles were thoroughly examined before the decision was made.

Pakistan’s Reaction

After the match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha expressed his doubts about the wicket in a measured statement. While acknowledging that umpires can make mistakes, he suggested that the ball may have bounced before reaching Samson’s gloves.

“I don’t know about the decision. It’s obviously the umpire’s job. Umpires can make mistakes. And I have no problem with that. But it does look like it bounced before it was carried to the keeper,” he stated during the post-match press conference.

“You can say the way he was batting, if he batted throughout the powerplay, we probably would have scored 190. But yeah, that’s the umpire’s call. And they can make mistakes. I don’t know. To me, it bounced before it reached the keeper,” he added.

(With inputs from Agencies)