Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Zimbabwe international Andy Pycroft, the ICC match referee at the centre of the 2025 Asia Cup controversy, has revealed that he was only informed minutes before the toss of the India-Pakistan clash on 14 September that the two captains were not to shake hands.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Pycroft initially believed he was simply relaying a message rather than issuing instructions. However, officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later accused him of breaching ICC codes and the spirit of cricket, calling for his removal from the tournament.
“The controversy was sparked, according to an official, ‘four minutes before the toss in Sunday’s game between Pakistan and India. As Pycroft walked on to the field, he was told by the ACC venue manager that the BCCI had communicated to them, with the Indian government’s approval, that there was to be no handshake between the captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha,’” ESPNCricinfo reported.
The PCB argued that Pycroft should have alerted the ICC about such an unusual request. Pycroft is understood to have explained that he had no time to do so. With more notice, he would have consulted the ICC. Instead, moments before the toss, he informed Agha to spare him a public snub if he extended his hand to Yadav.
The ICC has not treated Pycroft’s actions as a breach of the code, viewing them as part of his remit as a match official managing the game.
The row escalated on Wednesday when Pakistan’s must-win match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was delayed by an hour. The PCB threatened to withdraw from the tournament if Pycroft, who was scheduled to officiate the game, was not reassigned.
The match proceeded after a hastily arranged meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team hierarchy.
The PCB later claimed in a statement that Pycroft had “apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team”, though ESPNCricinfo reported that sources close to the matter described it not as an apology but as “an expression of regret over the misunderstanding and miscommunication” surrounding the incident.
