A unique controversy during the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan attracted widespread attention. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) complained to the ICC about the behaviour of match referee Andy Pycroft. The PCB claimed that Pycroft failed to communicate the ICC’s instructions to Indian and Pakistani players to refrain from shaking hands.
According to reports, Pycroft was informed of this information just four minutes before the start of the match. The ACC venue manager informed him that there would be no handshakes between captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha. This instruction came from the BCCI and was also approved by the Indian government. Pycroft received this message just minutes before the toss, depriving him of the opportunity to inform the ICC in time.
PCB’s Displeasure and ICC’s Response
The PCB felt that Pycroft deliberately withheld information from the ICC. They believed that if Pycroft had known about it in time, he would have informed the ICC. Pycroft explained to Salman Agha that he would not shake hands on the field to avoid any embarrassment.
The PCB even threatened to forfeit the next match if Pycroft was not removed. The ICC rejected this demand twice, and the match began after an hour’s delay.
The PCB later claimed that Andy Pycroft “apologized to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” though it has also been confirmed that the apology was merely an “expression of regret over the misunderstanding and miscommunication.”
The PCB also stated that the ICC is willing to investigate the matter. However, the ICC has also clearly stated that Pycroft did nothing wrong.
Now that talks have taken place between the ICC and the PCB, it appears that the matter is now calming down. However, this controversy once again proves that India-Pakistan matches are not limited to the field.
