The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a bold step during the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, formally lodging a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The board is demanding the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of violating the spirit of cricket during Pakistan’s high-voltage clash against India.
The controversy erupted when both captains, India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha, skipped the customary handshake at the toss — a gesture reportedly halted under Pycroft’s directive. What unfolded after the match only deepened Pakistan’s concerns.
Despite India sealing a seven-wicket victory on Sunday, the post-match traditions were broken. While Indian players celebrated among themselves, they avoided the customary handshakes with the Pakistan squad, leaving Salman Ali Agha’s men lined up and visibly dejected.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson confirmed that the team had been waiting for the gesture that never came, while skipper Salman Ali Agha even skipped the post-match presentation in protest — a rare break from cricket’s broadcasting norms.
In its strongly-worded letter, the PCB argued that Pycroft had “failed to fulfil his responsibilities as match referee” and violated both the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC’s laws, which place great emphasis on the “spirit of the game.”
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as President of the Asian Cricket Council, voiced his frustration publicly on X (formerly Twitter):
“The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding the match referee’s violation of the ICC Code of Conduct and MCC laws. The match referee took actions against the spirit of cricket. We have demanded the immediate removal of Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup.”
The complaint further alleges that tournament officials had been working under “instructions” initially said to be from the Indian board, later clarified as directives from the Indian government — a revelation that has added another layer to the controversy.
Pakistan media manager Naveed Akram Cheema formally raised objections with both Pycroft and Tournament Director Andrew Russell, insisting that the PCB’s protest is not only about this incident but about safeguarding cricket’s long-standing traditions.
As the Asia Cup heats up on the field, this episode has thrown the tournament into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The ICC is yet to issue an official response, but with tensions running high and political undertones creeping in, this may become one of the defining storylines of Asia Cup 2025.
