The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a statement that International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Andy Pycroft apologised to the national team’s captain and manager after the controversial “no-handshake” incident during the India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash on September 14. In a statement, the PCB said Pycroft admitted the decision to prevent the customary handshake between the two captains was a result of “miscommunication.” It added that the official had “apologized to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team” for the episode.
The board, however, maintained that it had strongly objected to Pycroft’s handling of the matter and had formally appealed to the ICC to replace him as referee for Pakistan’s following fixture against the United Arab Emirates. That request was turned down.Prior to the start of the game, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha did not shake hands with Pycroft, unlike UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem. “The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate the violation of the Code of Conduct during the match on September 14,” the PCB statement added, stressing the governing body’s willingness to review the sequence of events.
PCB’s official statement on X (Screengrab)
The controversy escalated further on Wednesday when Pakistan’s game against the UAE was delayed by an hour in Dubai after uncertainty over the team’s participation. Players were ‘stopped’ from boarding the team bus at their hotel even after their kit bags had been loaded, while the Asian Cricket Council deleted its posts for the match, adding to the speculation of a potential boycott. Despite Pycroft’s apology, the ICC said that an internal inquiry had already cleared him of wrongdoing, noting he had in fact acted to “help prevent potential embarrassment for both captains” by communicating the organisers’ decision. It also stressed that match official appointments are centralised and “cannot be influenced by considerations of any member board.” The PCB’s position, however, remains in an awkward spot, given that they have acknowledged Pycroft’s apology while also signalling dissatisfaction that their appeal for his replacement was rejected. This leaves the team caught in a controversy just before a crucial Asia Cup tie.
