Pakistan has dropped its threat to pull out of the Asia Cup. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) still wants match referee Andy Pycroft replaced. Late on Tuesday, PCB sent another letter to the ICC, asking for Richie Richardson to replace Pycroft in Pakistan’s remaining games. The ICC has not yet responded to this request.
The controversy began after Indian players, led by skipper Suryakumar Yadav, refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team following their match on Sunday. Pakistan’s skipper, Salman Ali Agha, did not attend the post-match ceremony in protest. The PCB blamed Pycroft for the incident, claiming he told Salman not to shake hands with Suryakumar and stopped the usual exchange of team-sheets.
Suryakumar explained that his refusal was a sign of support for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian Armed Forces. Pakistan called the action “unsporting” and accused Pycroft of bias. Despite PCB’s demand, the ICC has not acted on the issue.
