Dubai: Doubts over Pakistan’s participation in their next game in the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the ‘no handshake controversy’ deepened on Tuesday with the cancellation of their pre-match press conference.
The Pakistan team management decided to cancel their pre-match press conference as the ICC rejected their protest over the Indian players avoiding shaking hands with members of the Pakistan team and match referee Andy Pycroft’s involvement in it, according to a report by Telecom Asia Sport.
The cancellation of the PC has also cast doubts over Pakistan’s further participation in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Though Pakistan team management cancelled its pre-match press conference, the team did practice at the ICC academy at night without sending any player to address the media.
Sources confirmed to Telecom Asia Sport that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that their demand to remove Pycroft from the Asia Cup has been rejected, as they want to safeguard the reputation of their match referee.
The report claimed that PCB had written a letter to the ICC to protest Pycroft’s actions when he conveyed to Pakistan skipper Salman Agha that there would be no handshake at the toss in the India-Pakistan match in Dubai on Sunday.
“The ICC has conveyed that Pycroft will not be removed as match referee,” sources told www.telecomasia.net. “ICC has its own protocols, and they will not be altered in this issue.”
Incidentally, ICC General Manager, Cricket, Waseem Khan, is handling the issue. He is a British citizen of Pakistani origin and worked as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of PCB between 2018 and 2021.
The report said that the top officials of the Asian Cricket Council are also in contact with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. ACC vice president Pankaj Khimji of Oman also phoned Naqvi to convince him not to boycott the regional event.
“Naqvi is in a complex position as he is also the president of the ACC, and boycotting the event will be against his status,” the report quoted PCB sources as saying.
Naqvi held important meetings with the foreign office on Tuesday and was expected to meet PM Shahbaz Sharif after which he will decide about the future course of action.
(IANS)
