The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday denied the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) request to have match referee Andy Pycroft removed from the Asia Cup panel of officials.
According to the PCB’s complaint to the ICC, Pycroft directed Salman Ali Agha, the captain of Pakistan, not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav after the toss during Sunday’s Asia Cup match.
“Late last night, ICC had sent a reply to PCB stating that Pycroft won’t be removed and their plea has been rejected,” an ICC source told PTI.
The 69-year-old Zimbabwean is scheduled to officiate Pakistan’s last group stage match against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
Naved Cheema, the manager of the Pakistani squad, also complained to the Asian Cricket Council, claiming that Pycroft was the reason why the two captains didn’t exchange team sheets on Sunday as is customary.
In observance of the Pahalgam terror attack victims and their families, Suryakumar and his team did not shake hands with their cross-border adversaries following the game that India won by seven wickets.
Pycroft has officiated 695 international matches (men’s and women’s in three forms), making him one of the most senior match referees in the ICC Elite Panel.
According to trustworthy sources, Usman Walha, the Director of Cricket Operations for the PCB, caused the problem by failing to inform his captain of the rules and regulations that must be adhered to during the competition.
Walha was fired on Monday for embarrassing the national cricket team and its captain, according to reports. This decision was made by a furious PCB president, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the current chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
It was Walha’s responsibility to advise Salman of the “No Handshake” policy, but he failed to do so, and the Pakistan captain was reportedly taken by surprise by the development, according to reliable sources.
“Walha should have released a statement at the toss itself when the two captains didn’t shake hands. Naqvi apparently was furious as he handled it poorly,” a PCB source said.
After the ICC, led by India’s Jay Shah, summarily rejected the PCB’s demand that Pycroft be removed from the tournament, it will be interesting to watch if they continue to play.
The PCB is reportedly seeking a dignified resolution to ensure Andy Pycroft does not officiate in their matches.
One option proposed by the PCB is to have Richie Richardson take charge for their upcoming match against the UAE on Wednesday, though it remains uncertain whether this will be accepted.
