Pakistan cricket team have forced ICC to remove Andy Pycroft as the match referee for their next Asia Cup 2025 match against UAE.
Published: September 17, 2025 2:35 PM IST
Pakistan cricket team have finally secured a big win after shocking last few days following their seven-wicket loss to Team Indian in the Asia Cup 2025 match on Sunday. The former world champions were stunned by Suryakumar Yadav and Team India after the game when they refused to shake hands with Pakistan cricketers.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi took the ‘handshake row’ as a personal affront and immediately sent a letter to ICC demanding the removal of match-referee Andy Pycroft. Naqvi blamed the former Zimbabwe cricketer for failing to uphold ‘Spirit of Cricket’ in the ‘handshake row’ with Team India.
The International Cricket Council are all set to take a big move by removing Pycroft as match-referee from Pakistan’s next match against UAE in Dubai on Wednesday and replace him with former West Indies captain Richie Richardson. It is a win for both parties as ICC don’t have to remove Pycroft as match referee from the tournament while Pakistan don’t have to go through with their threat of pulling out of Asia Cup 2025.
PCB had written letter to ICC demanding removal of Andy Pycroft as match referee
PCB also threatened to walk out of the Asia Cup 2025 if Pycroft wasn’t removed as match referee by the ICC. “The match referee failed to discharge his responsibility: to ensure that respect was extended and maintained amongst the captains as well as between the two competing sides; and to create a positive atmosphere by his conduct and encourage the captains and participating teams to do likewise,” PCB wrote in a letter to ICC.
“In fact, the match referee’s instructions to the two team captains were entirely directed towards achieving the opposite result. This misconduct violates Article 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Match Officials, which specifically makes it an offence for the Match Referee to conduct himself in a manner, which is contrary to the spirit of game and violates the MCC Laws. Given the gravity, political nature/background, and far-reaching consequences and repercussions, the misconduct has also caused disrepute to the game,” the letter added.
Pakistan cricket team would have lost Rs 140 crore if they pulled out of Asia Cup 2025
The Pakistan cricket board can’t afford the massive financial losses that they will suffer if they pulled out of the Asia Cup 2025. Pakistan team’s share is Rs 140 crore or $16 million from the TV and broadcast revenue share of the tournament.
All five Test playing nations – including India and Pakistan – get 15 per cent share or between $12 to 16 million from the ACC. Pakistan can’t afford the loss of such a huge amount, especially after the crores of rupees they spent in renovating the stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Salman Ali Agha’s Pakistan must now win their last Group A match against United Arab Emirates to qualify for Super 4 stage along with Team India. If Pakistan qualify for the Super 4, they will face Team India again on September 21.
