The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Wednesday, put an end to the handshake saga once and for all after the apex body gave its final verdict to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the Andy Pycroft situation. PCB had written to the ICC twice, demanding the removal of the Zimbabwean from the panel of match referees for the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, blaming him for the handshake fiasco in the match between India and Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai, and faced a rejection on both occasions.
PCB felt Pycroft sparked the no-handshake controversy when he asked the two captains not to shake hands at the toss. The Pakistan team manager later wrote to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), accusing the 69-year-old of “misconduct of the highest order,” which was followed by PCB seeking ICC’s intervention. The board even threatened to pull out if its demand was not met, but ICC rejected their appeal twice.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, ICC communicated to the PCB, saying that the council found no wrongdoing on the part of the match referee, and that Pycroft rather saved India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Salam Ali Agha from an “embarrassment.”
The report read: “The ICC communique noted that it had conducted its own inquiry and concluded that Pycroft had actually helped prevent an embarrassment for both captains by discreetly advising Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha to avoid handshakes at the toss. It also stressed that Pycroft had not violated any match protocols.”
The report further said that the ICC conceded the Pakistan board was well within its rights to lodge the complaint. The governing body also maintained that the appointment of match officials is a centralised decision and cannot be swayed by any member board. The report added that the ICC was clear that it would not yield to PCB’s pressure, warning that doing so could set a dangerous precedent for the future. Hence, Pycroft remained as the match referee for the match between Pakistan and the UAE on Wednesday.
Earlier in the evening, Pakistan’s final group game in Dubai was delayed by an hour after PCB awaited final clearance. The players were instructed not to leave the hotel for the must-win game against the UAE, as the ICC rejected their second appeal, implying that Pycroft would remain as the match official.
After a long meeting at the PCB headquarters, chairman Mohsin Naqvi was joined by his successors—Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi—before deciding that the team would continue. It is not known what transpired in that meeting but soon after Naqvi took to ‘X’ and announced. He tweeted: “We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Further details to follow.” The team left the venue soon after that.
