Asia Cup Shake-Up: PCB Calls for Match Referee Pycroft's Ouster After Handshake Controversy

The handshake row may have just escalated, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sought to intensify the situation in the Asia Cup. A day after lodging a protest against the Indian team with the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee, the PCB has now turned the heat on the ICC official himself. It has now demanded that Andy Pycroft be removed from the panel of match referees for the 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," Mohsin Naqvi, who is the chairman of the PCB, has said in a social media post Monday (September 15).

The PCB's primary grievance, apparently, is that Pycroft became a party to one side. Its contention is that as the match referee he could not have instructed the captains not to shake hands. Sources say the PCB has taken its protest to the extent of threatening a boycott of its next game, against the UAE, on September 17, if its demand for the removal of the Zimbabwean is not met. Pycroft is the designated match referee for the Pakistan-UAE game. Although this information could not be independently verified, it is understood that the PCB has mentioned this point in its letter. Incidentally, Naqvi is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Naqvi has also commented on the Indian team without taking names. "Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Let's hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace," the PCB chief wrote on social media on Monday night.

Pycroft (69) has been at the centre of controversy for allegedly not acting on the PCB's protest against the Indian team, which refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players after they beat the arch-rivals by seven wickets at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday (September 14). Cricbuzz has reached out to the ICC as well as the PCB for a formal comment.

Pycroft is one of the most experienced match referees, having been on the ICC Elite Panel since 2009. Along with nominating Pycroft, the ICC had also forwarded the name of West Indian Richie Richardson for the Asia Cup. The Elite Panel currently includes three other match referees - Javagal Srinath of India, Jeff Crowe of New Zealand, and Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka.

Earlier on Monday night, the Pakistan team management lodged a protest with Pycroft against the Indian players' behavior. "Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players' behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the sport of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony," the Pakistan team management said.