The Pakistan cricket team stirred controversy by threatening to pull out of the Asia Cup following a perceived insult during their match against India. The contention arose when India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, reportedly declined to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart, Salman Ali Agha, a gesture made in solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Despite their initial threat, Pakistan eventually took the field for their match against UAE on Wednesday, but not without considerable drama. The team remained at their hotel in Dubai for an hour, awaiting instructions from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Lahore. Their eventual participation was contingent on what the PCB later claimed was an “apology” from match referee Andy Pycroft for a “miscommunication.”
Following the handshake incident, the PCB had lodged two formal complaints with the International Cricket Council (ICC), demanding Pycroft’s removal. However, the ICC firmly rejected both requests. The situation escalated with Pakistan threatening withdrawal, causing widespread chaos, before they ultimately performed a U-turn after engaging in discussions with the ICC and, crucially, a meeting with Pycroft himself.
Did Andy Pycroft Really Apologize to the Pakistan Team?
In a social media statement, the PCB publicly declared: “ICC’s controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team.” The statement further elaborated: “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 apologised. The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate the violation of the Code of Conduct during the match on September 14.”
FACT CHECK: Our investigation reveals that Andy Pycroft did not, in fact, “apologize” to the Pakistan team, contrary to the PCB’s assertions. A well-placed source informed us that during the meeting held in Pycroft’s room at the Dubai International Stadium – attended by Pycroft, Salman Ali Agha, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema, and coach Mike Hesson – the sole objective, initiated by the Zimbabwean official, was to clarify any potential miscommunication.
The source explicitly stated, “There was no question of any apology. Especially from someone who did no wrong.” It’s also noteworthy that a video of this meeting, released by the PCB, has its audio muted, raising further questions.
The ICC has consistently affirmed that Pycroft acted entirely within the bounds of the code of conduct. They made it clear to the PCB that officials could not be replaced simply due to a team’s demands, as this would set a problematic precedent. Faced with no other viable solution, Pakistan ultimately conceded and proceeded to play their match against UAE, with Andy Pycroft remaining as the match referee.