Asia Cup 2025: ICC pulls up PCB for ‘multiple violations’ over the Andy Pycroft row
The Asia Cup keeps getting murkier for the Men in Green, and needless to say, many of the complications are of their own making. The handshake row that erupted after the India vs Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup 2025 has dragged on beyond expectations. Following their seven-wicket defeat in what turned out to be a one-sided clash, the Men in Blue refused the customary handshakes, snubbing Pakistan. Angered by the slight, Pakistan dragged match referee Andy Pycroft into the controversy, demanding his removal. Although the issue was thought to be resolved before the Pakistan vs UAE clash, the PCB’s conduct during the meeting has since drawn the ICC’s ire.
ICC slams PCB for filming and circulating a clip featuring Andy Pycroft amid the Asia Cup 2025 row
The Pakistan Cricket Board has come under fire from the ICC for “breaching several tournament protocols” ahead of their concluding Group A clash of the Asia Cup 2025 against the UAE. The dispute arose after Pakistan delayed the fixture in protest against the ICC’s refusal to exclude match referee Andy Pycroft from the tournament.
The PCB’s objection was linked to the controversial handshake row in the high-profile India vs Pakistan match in Dubai. Holding the match referee responsible for the incident, PCB demanded that Pycroft be removed from the referee panel and even threatened to withdraw from Asia Cup altogether. After the ICC dismissed the request, the PCB sent another strongly worded letter on the eve of the Pakistan vs UAE game.
As tensions escalated on Wednesday, Pakistani players were initially told to remain at their hotel instead of travelling to the ground. A lengthy meeting was convened by the PCB, attended by current chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council, along with his predecessors Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja. The deliberations delayed the start of the Group A game by more than an hour, before clearance was eventually given for the team to continue in the competition.
Just before play, the PCB claimed on social media that Andy Pycroft had apologised to the Pakistan camp over the handshake row. Soon after, a muted video surfaced on the internet showing Pycroft in his office with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, team manager Naved Akram Cheema, and head coach Mike Hesson. According to reports, the ICC sent an email to the PCB moments before the match began, citing “misconduct” and “repeated violations” of the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) regulations. The communication highlighted that PCB’s media manager, Naeem Gillani, had been permitted to record the meeting despite explicit instructions that media personnel are not allowed in such official discussions.
"The ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has written to the PCB stating that the board has been guilty of repeated PMOA violations on match day. PCB is in receipt of the e-mail," the report informed. "PCB brought to the meeting their media manager and insisted that he be present during the conversation. Naeem was refused entry by the ICC Anti-Corruption Manager because "he wanted to take his mobile phone into the PMOA," it added.
The report also suggested that to defuse the deadlock, the ICC conceded to PCB’s last-minute condition that Pycroft meet with the Pakistan captain and team manager before the toss. Yet another flashpoint emerged when Naeem Gillani was barred from entering the referee’s room, with the PCB threatening a walkout unless he was allowed to film the proceedings, even though the recording was silent, creating what ICC labelled “an additional breach of the PMOA code.”
"The ICC, in order to preserve the interest of the sport, the tournament and the stakeholders involved accepted PCB's asks although this demonstrated a complete disregard for the sanctity of the PMOA, where the meeting took place," the source said.
The ICC later admitted it was unaware of how the footage would be circulated, but the PCB released a short clip across social media, which quickly fuelled speculation. In response, the governing body clarified that only regret over a miscommunication had been conveyed, directly challenging PCB’s claim that an apology had been offered.
