• Source:JND
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No Handshake Row: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday rejected Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from today's match between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, in a conference call, informed PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi that Pycroft would remain the match referee as he had followed the rules and regulations to the 'T'. "Pycroft will remain match referee for Wednesday's game," PTI quoted sources as saying.

PCB today wrote to ICC again seeking the removal of Andy Pycroft as match referee amid the no handshake controversy, which took place on Sunday during the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan. 

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Pakistan had held Pycroft responsible for the embarrassment it faced after Indian players refused to shake hands following their match on Sunday as a mark of solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. The PCB, in its letter to ICC, said that Pycroft had told Salman to avoid a handshake with Suryakumar and told the two captains not to exchange team sheets.

"The ICC's investigation was conducted on the basis of the information provided in the report lodged by the PCB. We took the report at Face value and note that no supporting documentation or evidence was provided with it. The PCB had every opportunity to submit statement from its team members alongside the initial report but chose not to do so," the ICC said.

The second point stated that there was "no case to answer" on the part of the match referee. "The actions that the match referee took were, following clear directions to him from ACC (Asian Cricket Council) Venue Manager, were consistent with how a match referee will deal with such an issue, communicated as it was with no time for him to do anything else (minutes before the toss)."

The ICC was clear that Pycroft was committed to "preserving the sanctity of the toss and avoiding any potential embarrassment that might have arisen." "The Match Referee was not at fault in any of this. It is not the role of the Match Referee to regulate any team or tournament-specific protocols which have been agreed outside of the area of play; that is a matter for the tournament organisers and relevant team managers," the ICC added.

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The conclusion was a terse one where the ICC brass wondered if "the PCB's real concern or complain relates to the actual decision that handshakes didn't take place." "The PCB should therefore direct those complaint to the tournament organiser and those who took the actual decision (which was not the Match Referee). The ICC doesn't have a role in that."

The development came amid reports that Pakistan would boycott today's match, and the PCB has asked the players to stay in the hotel and wait for further instructions. However, Pakistan was forced to climb down from its pullout threat and head to the stadium for a must-win Asia Cup game against the UAE.

Pakistan's cricket team had earlier refused to leave its hotel for the must-win group match as Pycroft is due to officiate the game that will now start at 9 pm IST instead of the original 8 pm start.

 

(With PTI Inputs)