Pakistan agrees to have Andy Pycroft as a cricket match referee after he apologises for his position in a handshake row towards India.
Printed On 17 Sep 2025
Pakistan’s cricket match towards the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the Asia Cup was delayed by an hour amid uncertainty in regards to the fixture as Pakistani officers deliberated pulling out of the event as a mark of protest.
The match on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium started at 7:30pm native time (15:30 GMT) on Wednesday, because the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) reached an settlement on Andy Pycroft’s project as match referee following his position within the “no handshake” row involving India three days earlier.
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“The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the supervisor and captain of the Pakistan cricket group,” the PCB mentioned in a press release launched minutes earlier than the toss for the Pakistan-UAE fixture.
“Andy Pycroft termed the September 14 incident a results of miscommunication.”
The PCB additionally mentioned that the ICC “expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred through the September 14 match”, referring to Pycroft’s request to Pakistan and India captains to keep away from the customary handshake on the toss, which the PCB alleges contravened the legal guidelines of the sport.
Pycroft was the important thing match official within the essential and politically charged match between the South Asian archrivals on Sunday, and had allegedly requested Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha and his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav to not partake within the customary captains’ handshake on the toss.
Later, as soon as Yadav hit the successful runs for India, he walked off the sector alongside along with his batting companion Shivam Dube with out shaking the opposition’s fingers – a practice in cricket – in a transfer that went uncontested by the match officers.
Moreover, the Indian gamers and employees didn’t shake fingers with the Pakistani contingent and as a substitute shut the door of their dressing room because the Pakistanis seemed on.
The transfer, and Pycroft’s resolution to not reprimand the Indian group, infuriated the PCB, which lodged a right away grievance with the event’s organisers.
The PCB additionally wrote to the ICC on Monday, asking for Pycroft’s elimination as match referee for all of Pakistan’s remaining fixtures as a consequence of his “failure to discharge his duties”, based on a PCB official who spoke to Al Jazeera on the situation of anonymity.
The impasse, ensuing from the ICC’s obvious refusal to take away Pycroft, lasted up till an hour previous to the official match begin time.
Later, as Pycroft carried out the toss in Dubai, the PCB launched a video of a gathering the place ICC Normal Supervisor of Cricket Wasim Khan is seen mediating a settlement between Pycroft and the Pakistan group – represented by supervisor Naveed Akram Cheema, captain Agha, and head coach Mike Hesson.
Hours earlier, the match’s destiny was left in limbo because the Pakistani squad didn’t board the bus for the venue at its scheduled departure time, indicating a logistical logjam between the PCB and the ICC.
Nevertheless, as soon as each events had reached an settlement, the group departed for the stadium. However the destiny of the match grew to become sure 5 minutes earlier than the toss with the PCB’s assertion.
In the meantime, the UAE squad awaited Pakistan’s arrival on the stadium underneath a cloud of uncertainty.
The Group A fixture acts as a knockout sport for each groups, with the winner progressing to the Tremendous 4 stage of the eight-nation event.
India have already certified for the following stage on the again of their wins towards the UAE and Pakistan.
