Dubai (Web Desk): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken its concerns to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), filing a formal complaint that seeks the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup 2025 after the controversy surrounding the Pakistan-India clash in Dubai.
The controversy began at the toss, where the traditional handshake between the two captains did not take place, reportedly on Pycroft’s instructions.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced through a post on X that the Board believes the referee’s conduct breached the ICC Code of Conduct as well as the MCC’s rules, insisting that such an act undermined the spirit of cricket. He confirmed that the PCB has requested Pycroft’s immediate dismissal from the tournament.
As the match concluded, Indian players chose to celebrate within their dugout without acknowledging their rivals, while the Pakistani team stood ready for the handshake that never came, only to watch the Indian side walk away and close their dressing room doors.
Pakistan’s head coach Mike Hesson later revealed that his players had waited for the customary exchange but were ignored.
In protest over the snub, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opted out of the post-match presentation, breaking away from standard practice where skippers normally address the game on air.
Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council, criticised the episode online, describing it as an intentional slight and slammed India of dragging politics into sport.He urged that future triumphs be met with respect rather than hostility.
Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema also lodged a complaint directly with Pycroft after the match, and the management issued a statement calling India’s actions a violation of fair play and sportsmanship. The statement added that this was the reason behind Agha’s absence from the ceremony.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, however, justified his team’s stance. He said the decision not to shake hands was consistent with the policy of the Indian government and the BCCI. Yadav, who guided his side with an unbeaten 47 in their chase of Pakistan’s 128-run target inside 16 overs, remarked that sometimes matters outweigh gestures of courtesy.
In his words, refusing to shake hands was India’s response, questioning whether such rituals hold meaning under current circumstances.
The tension was already visible at the toss when both Salman Ali Agha and Suryakumar avoided the handshake, setting the stage for what followed after the match.