Lahore, September 15, 2025: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), demanding the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 over the “handshake controversy” during the high-voltage Pakistan-India clash in Dubai.
The row began at the toss when both captains skipped the customary handshake—an omission reportedly directed by Pycroft.
“PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding the match referee’s violation of the ICC Code of Conduct and MCC laws. The match referee acted against the spirit of cricket. We have demanded the immediate removal of Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi wrote on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday.
Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), called the directive a “blatant breach of the spirit of the game.”
“There is nothing more important to me than the honour and prestige of my country,” he added in another post, while earlier condemning the incident as “utterly disappointing” and a case of “dragging politics into cricket.”
The controversy deepened after the match, when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, who struck the winning runs, celebrated with teammate Shivam Dube before leading his team straight into the dressing room. The Indian players congratulated each other inside the dugout but refrained from acknowledging the Pakistani side, who were lined up for the customary post-match handshake.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson confirmed the squad had been waiting for the gesture, which never came. In protest, skipper Salman Ali Agha refused to attend the post-match presentation ceremony, breaking from broadcast tradition where captains share their thoughts.
Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema also lodged a formal protest with Pycroft, with the PCB management later releasing a statement:
“The behaviour of Indian players was against the spirit of sportsmanship. That is why skipper Agha was not sent to the post-match ceremony.”
Meanwhile, Indian captain Suryakumar defended the decision, insisting it was taken in alignment with the Indian government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“We are aligned with the government and the BCCI. Some things are above sportsmanship. Is it really sportsmanship if you don’t even shake hands with the opposing team? That was our answer,” he said after his unbeaten 47 helped India chase down Pakistan’s modest 128-run target in 15.5 overs.
The handshake snub had already surfaced earlier at the toss, when Salman Ali Agha and Suryakumar Yadav declined to exchange greetings before the match.
