The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against match referee Mike Pycroft. The complaint alleges that Pycroft violated the “Spirit of Cricket” rules by asking the Pakistani and Indian captains not to shake hands at the coin toss for Sunday’s match.
An unnamed ICC source reportedly told Press Trust of India that the ICC had rejected the PCB’s plea to remove Pycroft. However, Cricbuzz later reported that the PCB denied receiving any such communication from the ICC. The PCB has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
The Times of India (TOI) quoted an unnamed source saying that it was actually Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials on the ground who informed Pycroft about the “no-handshake policy,” though it remains unclear if such a policy was officially in place.
Politicization of the Match and the Post-Match Ceremony
The complaint follows the highly charged Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, which India won by seven wickets. The controversy arose when Indian players, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts at both the toss and the end of the match.
At the post-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav stated that the team’s actions were “in alignment with the BCCI and the government” and that they wanted to give the Green Shirts a “proper reply.” He also appeared to politicize the victory by dedicating the win to the Indian armed forces and calling it a “perfect gift” for his country, in reference to a recent military conflict between the two nations.
In response to the Indian team’s conduct, Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha did not attend the post-match ceremony. Pakistan’s coach, Mike Hesson, also described the Indian team’s conduct as “disappointing.”
