Former Zimbabwe batter Andy Pycroft has been in the headlines over the past 24 hours after the Pakistan Cricket Board blamed him for the ‘no handshake’ episode in their clash against arch-rivals India on Sunday at the Asia Cup in Dubai, one that has become a point of discussion across the border.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his side refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts, dedicating their victory over the neighbours to the armed forces after Operation Sindoor.
The PCB responded by filing a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council. They claimed that match referee Pycroft had instructed the skippers not to shake hands at the toss.
Reports in Pakistani media suggested that the team has threatened to pull out
if Pycroft isn’t removed, but that might not happen given that the Pakistan Cricket Board chief, Mohsin Naqvi, is the current head of the Asian Cricket Council.
Who Is Andy Pycroft?
Though his playing career was brief, with just three Tests and 20 ODIs, Pycroft made notable contributions.
Pycroft took on various roles in cricket management, including coaching Zimbabwe’s U19 side and serving as a selector.
Pycroft has officiated 103 Tests over the last 16 years, making him the fourth-most experienced referee in Test history.
Pycroft’s connection with India goes back to his Test debut in Harare in 1992, where he scored 39 and 46 runs. He was a classy batter, renowned for his back-foot play, though his peak years had passed by the time Zimbabwe played their inaugural Test in 1992-93.
Pycroft made his ODI debut against Australia at Nottingham in June 1983, at the Prudential World Cup. He also played against India in the tournament, scoring 14 runs before being dismissed by Roger Binny.
Pycroft scored 71 runs in six matches at the 1983 World Cup at a dismal average of 11.83. One of his two half-centuries in ODIs came against India at the Wankhede Stadium in October 1987, a match in which Manoj Prabhakar starred with a four-wicket haul.
Pycroft became a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees in March 2009.
