Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have withdrawn their protest after creating a ruckus over the handshake row. The team led by Salman Ali Agha will not pull out of its final group-stage game in the Asia Cup, against the UAE on Wednesday.
According to PTI, a ‘middle-of-the-road’ agreement was reached under which match referee Andy Pycroft will not be officiating matches involving Pakistan. PCB has managed to convince the ICC to allow Richie Richardson to monitor the UAE game.
The PCB had demanded the removal of Pycroft from the tournament, citing a violation of ICC rules and regulations. The governing body rejected it.
Incidentally, the rejection letter that the PCB received from the ICC was signed by its general manager, Waseem Khan, who was formerly
the beleaguered cricket board’s CEO.
Had Pakistan pulled out of the tournament, they would have lost around USD 16 million, which is a significant amount for a cricket board not half as rich as the BCCI.
Earlier, there was a scheduled press conference in the evening ahead of the UAE game, but around an hour and a half before the Pakistan team’s arrival for training, it was cancelled.
“They want to keep cards close to the chest and not answer any questions about the boycott,” a PCB insider told PTI.
Pakistan in a must-win situation
The thrashing from India exposed Pakistan for the nth time. They tried fielding a bunch of fresh faces, like India, but couldn’t replicate the talent. Even Pakistan’s cricket fraternity highlighted the flaws, which were in plenty.
Now, it’s yet to be seen if they learn from their mistakes, change their approach or refrain from distractions. Because if they lose to the UAE on Wednesday, they will have to pack their bags and go home.
UAE are still alive in the race to Super 4s after hammering Oman by 42 runs on Monday. If they can pull off something extraordinary, like the USA in the T20 World Cup, they will have the opportunity to play at least 3 more matches in the ongoing tournament.
(With PTI Inputs)
