Andy Pycroft continued as the match referee for Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates in Match 10 of the Asia Cup 2025 on Wednesday, September 17 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
There has been a lot of controversy around the former Zimbabwean player following the recent India-Pakistan match on Sunday, September 14.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has stated that Pycroft did not commit any misconduct as a referee after the PCB accused him of violating MCC’s Spirit of Cricket guidelines by requesting that captains not shake hands after the toss.
The ICC already confirmed that Pycroft managed the situation effectively and avoided an embarrassing situation. The worldwide administrative body stressed that it is responsible for appointing referees and match officials, and that removing them under pressure would establish a dangerous precedent.
Pycroft, who eventually stayed on as referee for the Pakistan-UAE match, apologised to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, coach Mike Hesson, and team manager Naveed Cheema in a meeting at the Dubai International Stadium for the no-handshake incident, calling it “miscommunication.”
“ICC’s controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team,” the board stated in a press release.
“Andy Pycroft forbade the captains of both teams from shaking hands during the India-Pakistan match. The Pakistan Cricket Board had a strong reaction to Andy Pycroft’s actions.
“Andy Pycroft apologised for the September 14 incident, which he described as the product of miscommunication. The ICC has stated that it is ready to investigate the Code of Conduct infringement that occurred during the match on September 14.
Speaking of the current match, Pakistan have been put in to bat first. It is a do-or-die encounter for both teams as India have already qualified for the Super Four from Group A. Both Pakistan and UAE have defeated Oman in the tournament but have lost convincingly to India.
The winner of the ongoing match, which started around an hour from its scheduled time of commencement, will qualify for the next stage while the loser will be eliminated. There were earlier reports which stated that Pakistan might withdraw from the match and the tournament.
Saim Ayub (0 off 2) departed for his third duck of the tournament. The left-handed batter was dismissed on the first ball in both of Pakistan’s first two matches against Oman and India. Meanwhile, Sahibzada Farhan (5 off 12) followed suit. Both the batters got dismissed by the right-arm pace of Junaid Siddique.
India
