The Asia Cup is once again gripped by controversy, as Pakistan continues to press for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. This ongoing dispute follows a contentious post-match incident involving India, a demand that has reportedly been rejected by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The initial spark for this drama was India’s decisive seven-wicket victory in a Group A match on Sunday. Following the game, Indian players notably bypassed the traditional handshake and even closed their dressing room doors to their Pakistani counterparts.
Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), and Pakistan’s federal interior minister, publicly voiced his strong disapproval on social media. He condemned the Indian team’s actions as ‘against the spirit of the game’.
Naqvi further announced on social media that the PCB had officially filed a complaint with the ICC. The complaint alleged violations of the ICC Code of Conduct and MCC laws concerning the spirit of cricket by the match referee, explicitly demanding Pycroft’s immediate removal from the Asia Cup.
Reportedly, the complaint, submitted by team manager Naveed Cheema, specifically accused Pycroft of instructing Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to engage in the customary pre-toss handshake with his Indian counterpart.
Further fueling the drama, Pakistani media outlets reported that the PCB had dismissed its director of international cricket operations, Usama Wahla. This action was reportedly due to his delayed response to the controversy and, in some accounts, for permitting pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to accept the post-match award despite captain Salman Ali Agha’s boycott of the presentation ceremony.
While the ICC has maintained public silence, insiders have confirmed that Pakistan’s request for Pycroft’s removal was denied. An ICC official privately noted that acceding to such a demand would ‘set a wrong precedent’ and compromise the impartiality of match officials. This decision was reportedly communicated to the PCB on Monday evening.
Historically, India has also experienced disagreements with match referees; however, the ICC consistently supports its officials, with a notable exception during the 2008 ‘Monkeygate’ controversy where Steve Bucknor was reluctantly replaced for a Test match.
Pakistani news sources now indicate that the PCB is exploring face-saving options, potentially requesting former West Indies captain Ritchie Richardson to referee their upcoming matches instead of the veteran Pycroft.
This isn’t the first time the PCB has had a tense relationship with Pycroft. The former Zimbabwean cricketer had previously reported several Pakistani players, including Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal, and Mohammad Hafeez, for suspicious bowling actions.
Adding further intrigue, Pakistan unexpectedly canceled their pre-match press conference before their crucial match against UAE in Dubai. Despite this, their training session proceeded as scheduled at the ICC Academy, coincidentally overlapping with India’s practice on an an adjacent ground.
Pakistan faces a critical do-or-die scenario in the tournament. A loss to an invigorated UAE team would result in an early exit. Currently, Pakistan stands second in the group with two points from two matches (one win, one loss), maintaining a narrow advantage over their competitors.
The rumored threat of Pakistan withdrawing from the Asia Cup presents a significant financial challenge. Such a withdrawal could lead to a substantial revenue loss of approximately $12 to $16 million for the country. It’s important to note that India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan each receive 15% of the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) annual revenue, totaling 75%, with the remaining 25% allocated to associate nations.