With the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 underway in the United Arab Emirates, apart from the on-field action, the India versus Pakistan group stage fixture had a lot more on offer. Coming into the game after winning their respective opening matches of the tournament, Indian went on to beat their arch-rivals on Sunday, September 14 by seven wickets to consolidate their position at the top of the standings.
With a win, they also confirmed their spot in the Super Four, with only one group stage game remaining for them, which is set to be played on Friday, September 19 against Oman. The match not only saw Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliant spin bowling, but Suryakumar Yadav shone with the bat. Following the victory, the Indian team hogged the limelight for snubbing
a handshake with their near neighbours as a mark of their silent protest.
ICC set to reject PCB's demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft
Following the handshake row which overshadowed the on-field performances, saw the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) request for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi took to X writing, “The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup.”
However, no response have come from the ICC on the same, but sources close to the development suggest that there are insufficient grounds to justify PCB’s request. According to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) manual, handshakes before or after matches are not mandatory, a point the ICC is likely to emphasise in its formal response to the PCB.
The situation seem to have escalated as reports indicate Pakistan has threatened to boycott their upcoming match against the UAE, which is scheduled on September 17, if their demand is not met. Notably, Pycroft is appointed as the match referee for that fixture.
