Pakistan have reportedly threatened to boycott their Asia Cup 2025 fixture against the UAE unless match referee Andy Pycroft is removed, Cricbuzz reported.
The escalation follows India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Agha Salman not shaking hands at the toss, and India’s players skipping post-match handshakes after their 7-wicket win on Sunday.
According to the report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) first lodged a complaint with the match referee and then demanded his removal for allegedly not acting on their protest.
Pycroft, from Zimbabwe, is also slated to officiate Pakistan’s next game; the PCB has warned it will not play if he remains in the role.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who currently heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), said on X that the board has lodged a complaint with the ICC over “violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket,” and has demanded Pycroft’s immediate removal from the tournament.
Earlier, ACC sources told NDTV the referee had forgotten to inform Pakistan of a “no handshake” protocol after the match and later apologized to the team.
In a late-night statement in Urdu to domestic media, the PCB called Pycroft’s handling “against sportsmanship,” noting team manager Naveed Akram Cheema had filed a formal protest. The ICC has not issued a public response.
“Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship,” Naqvi posted, adding that “dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports,” and urging that future victories be celebrated with grace.
