By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday scrapped a pre-match press conference ahead of its Asia Cup clash with the United Arab Emirates, as a dispute over a handshake snub during Sunday’s Pakistan-India match intensified.
The PCB lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing match referee Andy Pycroft of breaching the “Spirit of Cricket” by allegedly instructing the Pakistan and India captains not to shake hands at the toss of their September 14 match in Dubai.
“Pakistan will not be holding their pre-match press conference today,” the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said in a statement before Wednesday’s Group A game against the UAE. Pakistan team media manager Syed Naeem Ahmed told reporters the squad would still hold its scheduled practice session on Tuesday.
The controversy stems from the high-profile Pakistan-India encounter, the first since last year’s deadly cross-border clash, dubbed “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos” by Pakistan, which left over 70 dead in missile, drone, and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire. The neighbours, who have not played a bilateral series on each other’s soil since 2012, meet only in neutral-venue tournaments under a diplomatic agreement.
Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema raised concerns with Pycroft over the Indian team’s conduct, the referee’s actions at the toss, and the umpires’ handling of post-match protocol. Cheema also approached tournament director Andy Russel, who reportedly suggested Pycroft was acting on instructions from India’s Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The PCB responded by demanding Pycroft’s removal from the Asia Cup officiating roster. The board has threatened to withdraw its teams from the tournament if the referee remains, with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the ACC, stating on social media Monday: “There is nothing more important to me than the honour and prestige of my country.”
Pycroft, one of two ICC-appointed referees alongside Richie Richardson, officiated Pakistan’s opening match against Oman and is slated to oversee Wednesday’s game against the UAE, where Pakistan are expected to win and advance to a Super Four rematch with India on Sunday.
Indian media, citing unnamed sources, reported that the ICC rejected the PCB’s request to remove Pycroft, informing the board late Monday that it dismissed claims he acted under Indian influence.
The PCB’s complaint also highlighted the absence of a post-match handshake, with Pakistan players left waiting as the Indian team retreated to their dugout, celebrated among themselves, and closed the dressing room doors.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav defended his team’s actions. “We are aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Some things are above sportsmanship. Is it really sportsmanship if you don’t even shake hands with the opposing team? That was our answer.”
In protest, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match presentation, defying the norm for captains to address broadcasters. The PCB also filed complaints with the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardian of cricket’s laws, seeking Pycroft’s removal.
In a separate move, the PCB suspended its director of international cricket, Usman Wahla, for failing to promptly forward an official letter on the handshake issue to the ICC.
Unconfirmed reports suggested the ICC might appoint Richardson for Pakistan’s remaining matches, but no official statement was issued.
Naqvi is set to meet senior government officials in Lahore to discuss next steps, with sources describing the coming hours as critical amid talk of a potential tournament boycott. The row has stirred debate in cricket circles, highlighting the sport’s entanglement with the fraught geopolitics of the India-Pakistan rivalry.
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