The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a strong protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), demanding the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft after he allegedly stopped the captains of Pakistan and India from shaking hands during the Asia Cup clash in Dubai.

According to PCB’s detailed letter, Pycroft told Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha before the toss that “there would be no handshake.”

He also instructed Pakistan’s media manager that the incident should not be recorded.

PCB’s protest letter

The letter, addressed to both ICC and MCC, accuses the referee of breaching cricket’s rules and spirit.

PCB described the incident as a “serious violation” of the ICC Code of Conduct and MCC rules.
The board alleged that Pycroft’s actions were “contrary to the spirit of the game” and damaged cricket’s integrity.
It stated that the match referee “did not fulfill his responsibility” and undermined one of the sport’s core traditions.

PCB’s team manager Naveed Akram Cheema formally raised objections with tournament director Andrew Russell after the match. According to the letter, Russell admitted that the directive had initially come from the Indian cricket board but was later clarified as “instructions from the Indian government.”

Fallout after match

Tensions escalated after Pakistan’s seven-wicket defeat to India in the group stage. Reports said Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match ceremony in protest, while head coach Mike Hesson backed the players’ decision.

“This reaction from our side was natural after what India did,” Hesson was quoted as saying.

The incident quickly drew criticism from fans and analysts, who argued that India had disregarded cricket’s handshake tradition both at the toss and after the game.

Match summary

Batting first, Pakistan scored 127 for 9 in 20 overs, with Sahibzada Farhan top-scoring at 40 and Shaheen Afridi adding 33. Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling with 3 for 18.

In reply, India chased the target comfortably in 15.5 overs, finishing at 131 for 3. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma both contributed 31 runs, while Saim Ayub claimed all three wickets for Pakistan.

With the loss, Pakistan now face a must-win match against UAE to qualify for the Super Four stage, while India remain unbeaten after victories over Oman and Pakistan.