Captain Suryakumar Yadav and team's decision to refuse customary handshake with Pakistani players in the T20 Asia Cup 2025 clash has led to controversy. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on September 14 lodged a format protest against International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Andy Pycroft. Less than a day later, PCB and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi has demanded the removal of Pycroft from ICC's panel of match referees for the ongoing Asia Cup.
"The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup," Naqvi said in a social media post on September 15.
Earlier, PCB had alleged that Pycroft told Pakistan captain Salman Agha to not shake opposition captain Suryakumar’s hand at the coin toss. As Suryakumar headed straight to the dressing room after finishing the run chase with a six, Agha did not turn up for the post-match presentation in his response to the handshake snub.
“The match referee Andy Pycroft had asked captain Salman Ali Agha, at the time of the toss, not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart. The Pakistan team management has lodged a protest, calling the behaviour against the spirit of sports," PCB had said in a statement.
"Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match presentation in protest against the behaviour of the Indian team, as the ceremony host was also an Indian."
Suryakumar stands with victims of Pahalgam terror attack
Later, in the post-match presentation, Suryakumar dedicated the seven-wicket victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. He also hailed the Indian Army for Operation Sindoor to kill terrorists on Pakistan soil with precision strikes. In the post-match press conference, he explained that the decision was taken beforehand and everyone was aligned with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the government.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson had expressed his disappointment over Indian players’ refusal to stay for the customary handshake.