Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan Boycotting match against UAE

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially threatened to boycott their Asia Cup 2025 match against the UAE on September 17 unless match referee Andy Pycroft is removed following the “handshake-gate” controversy with India. The PCB alleges Pycroft failed to take appropriate action after Indian players, including captain Suryakumar Yadav, refused post-match handshakes with Pakistan, prompting PCB to escalate their protest to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and International Cricket Council (ICC).

Details of the Controversy

• PCB lodged a formal protest against Indian players’ refusal to shake hands after their seven-wicket loss, calling it unsporting and against the spirit of cricket.
• The match referee, Andy Pycroft, has been accused of neglecting the PCB’s complaint and allegedly instructing captains at the toss not to shake hands.
• PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the ACC, has demanded Pycroft’s immediate removal from the tournament, threatening a boycott of their next fixture if their demands are unmet.

Implications

• If Pakistan boycotts the UAE match, they risk immediate elimination from the Asia Cup and UAE would progress to the next stage.
• he incident has triggered further ACC consideration of disciplinary action against India and a possible review of tournament officiating protocols.

PCB Official Statements

• PCB: “Pycroft must be removed from the Asia Cup, or we will not play any further matches”.
• PCB has lodged complaints with both the ACC and ICC, but the Asia Cup is managed solely by the ACC.

This dramatic escalation puts the continuation of Pakistan’s campaign and the integrity of the Asia Cup 2025 under threat, pending ACC’s response. More updates are expected before the September 17 fixture.

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