The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has maintained its position that if match referee Andy Pycroft is not removed, Pakistan will not play the remaining matches.According to Indian media, the Asian Cricket Council is trying to resolve the matter by seeking a compromise.
Instead of excluding him from the entire tournament, a proposal has been made to remove Pycroft only from Pakistan’s matches.Indian media further reported that Richie Richardson could replace Pycroft in Pakistan’s fixtures.
Two days earlier, during the toss in the Pakistan-India Asia Cup clash, Andy Pycroft told Pakistan captain Salman Agha that there would be no handshake at the toss. He had also instructed Pakistan’s media manager not to record the moment.
After the match, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema raised concerns with tournament director Andrew Russell, who replied that the directive came from the Indian board and in fact from the Indian government.In a letter to the ICC and MCC, the PCB cited MCC laws, stressing that while they repeatedly emphasized the “spirit of the game,” the referee failed to fulfill his duties.The PCB stated that the referee violated the ICC Code of Conduct and undermined the spirit of cricket.
The letter further mentioned that Pycroft’s behavior went against both the spirit of the game and MCC rules, and the PCB considered it a serious breach.Sources confirmed that Pakistan has threatened to withdraw from the Asia Cup entirely if Andy Pycroft is not replaced.
