Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Zimbabwe international Andy Pycroft, the ICC match referee at the heart of the 2025 Asia Cup storm, says he was only told minutes before the toss of the India-Pakistan clash on September 14 that the two captains were not to shake hands.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Pycroft initially thought he was merely relaying a message rather than issuing instructions. But Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials later accused him of breaching ICC codes and the spirit of cricket, demanding 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 said he had no time. 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 action as a code breach, seeing it 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) faced an hour-long delay. PCB threatened to pull out of the tournament if Pycroft, who was scheduled to oversee the game, was not reassigned.
The match went ahead 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.
