Dubai: Despite the intense “handshake drama” that marred Sunday night’s match at the Dubai International Stadium, sources indicate it’s highly improbable the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will pull out of the ongoing Asia Cup.
“A withdrawal from the Asia Cup is very unlikely for the PCB,” a source within the board confirmed.
The insider elaborated, “If we were to withdraw, the ICC, spearheaded by Jay Shah, would impose severe sanctions on the PCB. Financially, our board cannot bear such a burden, especially after the significant investments made in stadium renovations for the Champions Trophy.”
A video report highlights the escalating tension, questioning if the “handshake drama” could jeopardize the India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 matches.
This development follows a social media post by PCB president and Asian Cricket Council head, Mohsin Naqvi, who stated, “There is nothing more important to me than the honour and prestige of my country.”
The PCB had previously filed a formal complaint with the ICC against match referee Andrew Pycroft. Pycroft had controversially instructed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and his Indian counterpart, Suryakumar Yadav, to forgo the traditional handshake at the toss.
The PCB’s letter of complaint highlighted, “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 letter further criticized, “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.
If we do that, ICC led by Jay Shah will put heavy sanctions on the PCB, and this is something our board cannot afford.
— PCB source on Pakistan’s threat to withdraw from Asia Cup
The PCB’s official complaint continued, “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 the game and violates the MCC Laws.”
It emphasized the gravity of the situation: “Given the gravity, political nature/background, and far-reaching consequences and repercussions, the misconduct has also caused disrepute to the game.”
“We believe the highest level of offence has been committed.”
TimesofIndia.com has learned that the ICC has officially rejected the PCB’s appeal.
Both India and Pakistan are set to train at the ICC Academy on Tuesday, albeit at different times. India’s session is scheduled from 6 PM to 9 PM local time, followed by Pakistan’s training from 8 PM to 11 PM, as both teams prepare for their upcoming fixtures.
India has already secured a spot in the Super 4s after UAE’s victory over Oman on Monday. Pakistan, on the other hand, faces a crucial match against the host UAE on Wednesday. A win for Pakistan would set up another highly anticipated clash with India on Sunday.