Andy Pycroft | Pakistan

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday said that Zimbabwean referee Andy Pycroft apologised to the manager and captain of the Green Shirts over a controversy during the recent Pakistan-India match. Uncertainty regarding the national team’s participation in the Asia Cup today emerged after the handshake controversy that unfolded in their match against archrivals India. The Zimbabwean oversaw Sunday’s politically charged clash with India, after which the victorious India team refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players. The PCB said that Pycroft told Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav before the match. Pycroft was scheduled to be the match referee for today’s game as reports coming out from India claimed the ICC had rejected Pakistan’s demand. A statement issued today by the PCB shortly before the toss between Pakistan and UAE said: “The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team....

Posts from multiple Indian users on social media platform X on Monday were sharing the post of an account allegedly belonging to Zimbabwean cricket referee and former player Andy Pycroft, saying he stood by his decision that raised controversy in the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan and criticised the latter’s players. However, the account is fake. Pakistan lodged a complaint a day ago with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over Pycroft’s conduct during the Asia Cup clash with India, as political tensions between the neighbours spilt onto the field. India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in Dubai on Sunday in the first meeting between the two sides since a four-day military conflict in May. The match, overseen by Pycroft, passed without incident but ended without the customary handshakes, intensifying the rancour between the two camps. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) alleged that Pycroft told captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav before the toss. No...