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A major controversy nearly disrupted the 2025 Asia Cup, revolving around ICC match referee Andy Pycroft. Just minutes before the toss for the India-Pakistan match on September 14, Pycroft was informed that the two captains would not be shaking hands. At the time, he saw himself as simply relaying this message, not as the one giving the order. Following the incident, the PCB filed a formal complaint against him, accusing him of breaching ICC codes and the spirit of cricket, and demanding his removal from the tournament.
Andy Pycroft got message 4 minutes about the no-handshake episode during IND vs PAK match
The situation was reportedly a chaotic series of events that unfolded between Pakistan's two matches on September 14 and 17. According to an official with direct knowledge of the situation, the controversy began "four minutes before the toss" of the Sunday match between Pakistan and India. As Pycroft was heading onto the field, the ACC venue manager informed him that the BCCI, with the approval of the Indian government, had communicated that there would be no handshake between captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha.
PCB officials have argued that Andy Pycroft should have alerted the ICC about the unusual request to forgo the pre-match handshake. Pycroft, however, reportedly stated that he didn't have enough time to do so. He believed that if he had more time, he would have consulted the ICC. Instead, he chose to inform captain Salman Agha of the situation just moments before the toss. His reasoning was that this would prevent a potentially embarrassing public snub if Agha extended his hand to Suryakumar Yadav, only to be rejected.
Despite the PCB's complaint, the ICC has consistently maintained that Pycroft's actions did not violate any code of conduct. They view his decision as an appropriate measure taken within his authority as a match official, whose job is to manage the game and prevent potential public embarrassment.
The controversy reached a climax on Wednesday, creating significant uncertainty around Pakistan's crucial match against the UAE. The PCB threatened to withdraw from the tournament if Andy Pycroft, who was scheduled to officiate the game, was not replaced. The match eventually began an hour late after a quick meeting was held between Pycroft and the Pakistan team's management to clear the air.
In a public statement, the PCB claimed that Pycroft had "apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team." However, sources close to the matter say that it was not a formal apology but rather an "expression of regret over the misunderstanding and miscommunication" that had occurred.
The ICC had already responded to the PCB's initial complaint on September 15. It stated that it had "carefully investigated" the matter and "concluded" there was "no case to answer on the part of Mr. Pycroft." The ICC's review, which involved speaking with Pycroft, other match and tournament officials, and tournament director Andrew Russell, determined that Pycroft was "not at fault" in any way.
PCB also threatened to pull out of the Asia Cup ahead of their match against UAE if their demand for the removal of Pycroft from the match isn't met. However, ICC refuted PCB's demands and clearly stated that Pycroft will remain as the match referee for the match. However, all this drama delayed the match by an hour but Pakistan had to retract on their words as the match happened with Salman Ali Agha-led side winning the match by 41 runs.
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