The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reappointed Elite Panel Match Referee Andy Pycroft for the highly anticipated India-Pakistan Asia Cup Super Four match which is slated to be played on September 21, Sunday. This decision comes despite repeated requests from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to have him removed from the roster.
ICC reappoints Andy Pycroft for India-Pakistan Super 4 clash
According to a PTI report, Pycroft will indeed be the match referee for the game. The complete list of officials for Sunday's match has not yet been released, but the other match referee in the tournament is former West Indies captain Richie Richardson.
Pycroft was also the match referee in the arch-rivals' group stage match when the Team India players did not shake hands with the Pakistani team. The Zimbabwean official found himself at the center of the controversy after India's captain, Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha. Following the incident, the Pakistan team sent two separate emails to the ICC. The first requested Pycroft's removal from the entire tournament, and the second asked that he be removed from all of Pakistan's matches. Both requests were outrightly rejected, with the ICC standing firm in its support of its Elite Panel referee.
While the official list of match officials for Sunday's game has not yet been made public, the other match referee in the tournament is former West Indies captain Richie Richardson.
The ICC has rejected the PCB's claim that Pycroft violated the "Spirit of the Game" code. The ICC insists that he was simply a messenger, relaying a message from the designated Venue Manager of the Asian Cricket Council. The ICC explained that with only minutes left before the match was scheduled to begin, he had no time to do anything but pass on the message. The ICC later arranged a meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management, including captain Salman, head coach Mike Hesson, and manager Naveed Akram Cheema, where Pycroft stated that he "regretted the miscommunication." The ICC then sent another email pointing out that Pycroft never apologized, but only "regretted the miscommunication," and also accused the PCB of violating protocols related to the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA), which the PCB has denied.
Given this history, the appointment of Pycroft for another India-Pakistan game is a clear sign that the ICC is unwilling to change its position. The global cricket body believes that removing the former Zimbabwe Test batter would set a dangerous precedent.