The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) seeking the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the complaint accuses Pycroft of violating the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC’s “Spirit of Cricket” laws during Sunday’s high-stakes India-Pakistan clash in Dubai.
India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the much-anticipated encounter, with captain Suryakumar Yadav hitting the winning six. But the victory was followed by controversy when the Indian players left the field without shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts. Yadav later told reporters that the decision was made in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian government, and he dedicated the win to the Indian army and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The PCB alleges that the match referee instructed both captains not to shake hands, something Pakistan says violates the spirit of the game. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match ceremony in protest, while coach Mike Hesson said the team was “keen to engage” but was disappointed by the outcome.
Naqvi called the incident “utterly disappointing” and warned against dragging politics into cricket, urging future victories to be celebrated with grace. The complaint adds another layer of tension to already strained India-Pakistan cricket relations, coming just months after renewed political hostilities between the two nations.