The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to get rid of the senior match referee Andy Pycroft following the recent Asia Cup 2025 match against India in Dubai. The demand was made after an unusual event when some of the Indian players, including the captain (Suryakumar Yadav) skipped the customary handshake during the toss and post-match. As Pakistan players waited, Suryakumar and Shivam Dube directly proceeded to the dressing room and that caused disappointment in the Pakistan camp.
It is reported that Pakistan team manager informed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that Pycroft had warned their captain not to shake hands in the toss. This assertion made PCB take the issue to the next level and call upon the ICC. The ICC however declined to remove Pycroft officially, claiming that there was no violation of rules.
The PCB alleged in its letter that Pycroft failed to respect and demonstrate sportmanship and thus his conduct did not comply with the ICC Code of Conduct for Match Officials. They claimed that his actions generated unwanted tension and gave a bad example on the need to foster peace among competing teams. The board termed the incident as severe and harmful to the game spirit although the ICC declined to take action on the complaint.
“It is alarming to note that an ICC-appointed and supposedly neutral match referee opted to indulge in conduct, which clearly violates the Spirit of Cricket and MCC Laws. The match referee failed to discharge his responsibility: to ensure that respect was extended and maintained amongst the captains as well as between the two competing sides; and to create a positive atmosphere by his conduct and encourage the captains and participating teams to do likewise. In fact, the Match Referee’s instructions to the two team captains were entirely directed towards achieving the opposite result. This misconduct violates Article 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Match Officials, which specifically makes it an offence for the Match Referee to conduct himself in a manner that is contrary to the spirit of game and violates the MCC Laws. Given the gravity, political nature/background, and far-reaching consequences and repercussions, the misconduct has also caused disrepute to the game,” the letter read as quoted by Hindustan Times.
ICC Upholds Pycroft’s Role Amid PCB Boycott Speculation
The ICC has effectively rejected Pakistan’s neutrality objection by stating that the referee did not initiate the handshake snub and that he was communicating instructions from ACC officials on the ground rather than acting on behalf of one team. Pycroft will still be in charge of Pakistan’s next encounter against the United Arab Emirates, which has led to rumors that Pakistan may boycott the game if the official is not there. According to reports, the PCB is discussing more before making a decision and has stated in public that it has not received any official message from the ICC.
