By News Karnataka

Copyright newskarnataka

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against match referee Andy Pycroft, demanding his immediate removal from the Asia Cup 2025. The complaint follows a string of controversies during the high-voltage India–Pakistan clash, including the absence of post-match handshakes and allegations of disrespect towards the spirit of the game.

PCB alleges violation of Spirit of Cricket

PCB and Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi announced the development on social media, stating that the board had accused Pycroft of violating the ICC’s Code of Conduct and the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket laws.

According to the PCB, the controversy began at the toss when India skipper Suryakumar Yadav refrained from shaking hands with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha. After India’s victory, Indian players reportedly left the field without customary handshakes, further escalating tensions.

Adding fuel to the fire, the PCB alleged that Pycroft himself had instructed Salman Agha not to shake hands with Yadav before the toss. “The behaviour was against the spirit of sports,” the PCB said in a statement, further clarifying that Agha’s boycott of the post-match presentation was a form of protest.

Code of Conduct under the scanner

The ICC’s Spirit of Cricket preamble clearly states that teams must respect opponents, congratulate them on successes, and uphold a positive sporting atmosphere. By avoiding handshakes, Pakistan argues that India violated this ethos, while also accusing the match referee of facilitating the unsporting conduct.

Respect, according to the preamble, is central:

Respect your captain, team-mates, opponents, and umpires.

The PCB maintains that these principles were ignored during the match, undermining the essence of cricket.

A match marred by controversies

The Asia Cup fixture was controversial even before the toss. During the pre-match ceremony, a mix-up saw ‘Jalebi Baby’ mistakenly played instead of Pakistan’s national anthem, sparking outrage on social media.

At the toss, the handshake snub drew attention to already fraught India–Pakistan relations following the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this month. India then outplayed Pakistan, sealing victory with 7 wickets in hand and 25 balls to spare.

Salman Agha, angered by both the referee’s alleged instructions and India’s conduct, skipped the post-match ceremony, citing “disrespect” after the host was revealed to be Indian.

The PCB’s demand for Pycroft’s removal is now with the ICC, which will need to review both the complaint and the Spirit of Cricket clause. Meanwhile, tensions are likely to carry into the Super 4s, where India and Pakistan may meet again if Pakistan qualify.

The episode has already triggered sharp reactions across the cricketing world, with former India captain Sunil Gavaskar remarking that Pakistan’s boycott of the ceremony “made no difference” to the outcome, while others urged the ICC to take a stricter stand on upholding cricket’s spirit.