Pak vs UAE: Andy Pycroft apologises, Shaheens reach stadium

DUBAI: The controversy over match referee Andy Pycroft has been temporarily defused after he apologised to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and the team manager for instructing players not to shake hands during the toss of the Pakistan–India Asia Cup clash.

According to a statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Pycroft admitted that the “no handshake” instruction, reportedly given on the Indian board’s request, had created an unnecessary controversy.

ائی سی سی کے متنازعہ میچ ریفری اینڈی پائی کرافٹ نے پاکستانی کرکٹ ٹیم کے مینجر اور ٹیم کے کپتان سے معذرت کر لی۔ pic.twitter.com/2dZaxPFbFg

— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) September 17, 2025

He will now officiate the Pak vs UAE match as scheduled, while the International Cricket Council (ICC) will conduct a formal inquiry into the incident.

PCB gives go-ahead

The PCB had earlier delayed the team’s departure in protest, demanding Pycroft’s removal from the Asia Cup panel.

The dispute resulted in the one-hour delay of the Pak vs UAE match, with the toss rescheduled for 8pm Pakistan time and play starting at 8:30pm.

Following consultations, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi instructed the team to leave their hotel for the stadium.

“We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium,” Naqvi announced in a post on X.

We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Further details to follow

— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) September 17, 2025

Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema had lodged a protest with tournament director Andrew Russell, who allegedly said the directive about no handshakes had come from the Indian board and, ultimately, the Indian government.

Pakistan lost the match but took strong exception to what they termed unsporting behaviour by the referee and the Indian players, who did not shake hands with the Pakistani team after the game and reportedly locked their dressing-room door. In response, captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match presentation ceremony.

The PCB subsequently wrote to the ICC, alleging a breach of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC’s “Spirit of Cricket” laws, and demanded Pycroft’s immediate removal from the tournament.

The demand led to an emergency ICC meeting in Dubai, attended by ICC and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials, with PCB executives joining via video link.

The agenda focused on the ‘no handshake’ incident and the PCB’s call for Pycroft’s removal.