The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has hit back at the International Cricket Council (ICC) after being accused of misconduct and breaking PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area) rules during the Asia Cup 2025. The dispute began during Pakistan’s game against the UAE in Dubai on September 17, which was delayed by an hour following tensions between the two boards.
The issue arose when Pakistan insisted on recording a pre-match meeting between match referee Andy Pycroft and team management, held to address the earlier India-Pakistan handshake controversy. ICC later claimed Pakistan’s media manager Naeem Gillani used a mobile phone to film the discussion, violating anti-corruption rules, and also accused PCB of misrepresenting Pycroft’s words as an “apology.” In response, PCB strongly rejected the allegations, stating no protocols were broken.
“The team’s media manager is part of the squad and has authorized access to the PMOA. His presence there is not a violation. ICC protocols include provisions that allow media managers to use cameras. If the SOP was not followed, the ICC should question the match referee on whether he reported the matter to the ACU official,” the PCB wrote to the ICC.
The PCB defended its stance by explaining that Pakistan had initially refused to take the field unless their media manager was allowed into the meeting. A compromise was eventually reached, permitting Naeem Gillani to record the discussion on video without audio. According to the board, this arrangement did not amount to a breach of rules.
The ICC, however, took a much stricter view. The PMOA is considered one of the most secure areas in a stadium, where mobile phone use is tightly restricted to avoid corruption risks. While media managers may carry phones, using them inside the zone is prohibited. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta labelled the PCB’s actions as misconduct and clarified that referee Andy Pycroft had only followed instructions from the Asian Cricket Council’s venue manager.
