The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a robust response to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) allegations of misbehaviour and several violations of the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) policy during the Asia Cup 2025. The dispute arose from Pakistan’s match against the UAE in Dubai on September 17, which was delayed by an hour due to tensions between the PCB and the ICC.
The controversy began when Pakistan insisted on recording a meeting between match referee Andy Pycroft and team management prior to the game. The meeting, scheduled minutes before the toss, was intended to ease tensions over the India-Pakistan handshake dispute, in which Pycroft was accused by the PCB of mishandling a situation between captains Salman Ali Agha and Suryakumar Yadav.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta later sent an email to the PCB, noting that Pakistan’s media manager Naeem Gillani used a mobile phone in the PMOA area to film the discussion, an act explicitly prohibited under anti-corruption regulations. Gupta further mentioned that the PCB had misrepresented Pycroft’s comments by publicly claiming he had apologised, while he only expressed regret over a miscommunication. In its reply.
The PCB dismissed the ICC’s accusations, insisting no protocols were breached.
“The team’s media manager is part of the squad and has authorized access to the PMOA. His presence there is not a violation. ICC protocols include provisions that allow media managers to use cameras. If the SOP was not followed, the ICC should question the match referee on whether he reported the matter to the ACU official,” the PCB wrote to the ICC.
The PCB also justified its actions by mentioning that Pakistan had initially refused to take the field unless its media manager was allowed into the meeting. Eventually, a compromise was reached, where Gillani was permitted to film the meeting without audio. The board argued this arrangement should not be construed as a violation.
However, for the ICC, the issue is more serious. The PMOA is regarded as one of the most secure zones in a cricket stadium, with strict restrictions on mobile phone use to prevent any risk of corruption. Even though media managers are permitted to carry their phones, they are not allowed to operate them inside this area. Gupta described the PCB’s actions as misconduct and stressed that Pycroft had acted appropriately, only relaying instructions from the Asian Cricket Council’s venue manager.
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