By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has accused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of breaching protocol by recording a meeting with match referee Andy Pycroft ahead of Pakistan’s Asia Cup match against the UAE in Dubai on September 17, according to a report by India’s state-run Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency on Friday.
The controversy, dubbed “handshake-gate,” stems from India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha before their Asia Cup match and escalated when Suryakumar dedicated India’s victory to soldiers stationed in the disputed Kashmir region.
The PTI report, which some observers suggest may aim to temper reactions among India’s domestic audience on the apology, stated that ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta sent a “strongly-worded email” to the PCB on Thursday. Gupta described the use of a mobile phone to film a discussion in the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) as a violation of anti-corruption regulations.
The meeting, held to address the handshake controversy, involved Pycroft, Salman, head coach Mike Hesson, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema, media manager Naeem Gillani, and ICC general manager cricket Wasim Khan.
ICC officials informed Gillani that mobile phones were prohibited in the PMOA. The PCB, however, insisted on recording the meeting, threatening to boycott the UAE match unless their demand was met. A compromise was reached, allowing the session to be filmed without audio.
In his email, Gupta labelled the PCB’s actions as “misconduct” and cited “multiple violations” of the PMOA code. He also disputed a PCB press release claiming Pycroft had “apologised” to Salman and Cheema, clarifying that Pycroft had only expressed “regret over the miscommunication” regarding the handshake incident.
The dispute began when Suryakumar declined to shake hands with Salman before the India-Pakistan match, a gesture seen as a departure from cricket’s customary courtesy. Tensions escalated further when Suryakumar, during the post-match ceremony, dedicated India’s victory to soldiers in the disputed Kashmir region, a statement that drew sharp criticism from the PCB and heightened diplomatic sensitivities between India and Pakistan, both parties to the long-standing territorial dispute.
The recording controversy delayed the start of Pakistan’s match against the UAE by nearly an hour, with the PCB initially instructing its players to remain at their hotel upon learning Pycroft would officiate. The standoff was resolved after the ICC agreed to the pre-match meeting with Pakistan’s team management.
The PCB had previously demanded Pycroft’s removal from the tournament, alleging he violated the code of conduct and the MCC’s spirit of cricket by instructing Salman not to shake hands with Suryakumar.
The ICC, where India holds significant sway due to its financial and administrative influence, countered that Pycroft was relaying a message from the Asian Cricket Council’s venue manager and that an internal inquiry had cleared him of wrongdoing.
On Friday, the PCB defended its decision to record the meeting, asserting that its media manager had authorised access to the PMOA and acted within ICC protocols. “The team’s media manager is part of the squad and has authorised access to the PMOA. His presence there is not a violation,” PTI quoted a tournament source as saying.
The PCB further argued that ICC protocols permit media managers to use cameras in the PMOA. However, PTI reported that the ICC referee raised the issue with Pakistan’s anti-corruption officer, who acknowledged the breach. Gupta stated in his email: “The ICC, in order to preserve the interest of the sport, the tournament and the stakeholders involved accepted PCB’s request although this demonstrated a complete disregard for the sanctity of the PMOA.”
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