The International Cricket Council (ICC) has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it is unable to withdraw match referee Andy Pycroft from the panel of match referees for the ongoing Asia Cup because its investigation revealed no fault on his side.
The PCB’s formal complaint to the ICC to punish and remove Andy Pycroft from the match referee panel stemmed from the Indian team’s refusal to shake hands after the toss and during the most recent match on Sunday, September 14.
According to Cricbuzz, the ICC has informed the PCB that the match referee has not committed any violation. By telling Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands after the toss, Pycroft really saved them from embarrassment, according to the ICC statement, which admitted that the international administrative body had carried out its own investigation and rendered a decision.
The ICC stated unequivocally that breaking the rules under duress might have created an incorrect precedent. Following earlier allegations that the squad will not play in the match against the hosts, the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, September 17, PCB chairperson Mohsin Naqvi posted on social media that the board has ordered the team to report to the stadium.
In a conference at the Dubai International Stadium, Pycroft, who ultimately remained the referee for the Pakistan-UAE match, called the no-handshake incident “miscommunication” and expressed regret to team manager Naveed Cheema, coach Mike Hesson, and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.
“ICC’s controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologized to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team,” the board said in a media release.
“Andy Pycroft had prohibited the captains of both teams from shaking hands during the India-Pakistan match. The Pakistan Cricket Board had strongly reacted to Andy Pycroft’s action.
“Andy Pycroft termed the incident on September 14 as a result of miscommunication and apologized. The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate the violation of the Code of Conduct during the match on September 14.”
