• PCB chairman to consult senior officials on next steps.
• ICC may replace Pycroft with Richardson for future matches.
• Pakistan suspends director for delay in forwarding complaint.
  

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup, Indian media reported on Tuesday.

According to the reports, the ICC formally informed the PCB of its decision last night, dismissing Pakistan’s stance that Pycroft had acted at the behest of the Indian team.

The PCB had filed an official complaint with the ICC, accusing Pycroft of violating the “Spirit of Cricket” by allegedly asking the Pakistan and India captains not to shake hands at the toss before their Asia Cup 2025 fixture on Sunday.

The complaint also referred to the absence of the customary handshake between the two sides after the match.

There are reports of a possibility of ICC match referee Richard Richardson being appointed as the match referee for Pakistan’s upcoming Asia Cup fixtures, though no official confirmation has been made.

Sources earlier said Pakistan was considering withdrawing from the tournament if its demand was not met, describing the next few hours as crucial for future deliberations.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to consult senior government officials in Lahore later today to discuss the board’s next course of action.

The controversy arose after Pakistan and India captains avoided a handshake at the toss during their September 14 Asia Cup 2025 fixture, an omission reportedly directed by match referee Pycroft.

The same was repeated towards the end of the match, when the players of the opposing teams shook hands as per cricketing tradition, where the Indian team skipped the customary post-match handshake.

While the Indian players congratulated each other at the dugout after the match, they refrained from acknowledging or shaking hands with the Pakistani team.

Pakistan’s players lined up expecting the customary handshake, only to see the Indian team retreat and close the dressing room doors.

India’s victorious captain, Suryakumar, defended his team’s decision not to shake hands with the Pakistan players, saying that it was taken in alignment with their government and cricket board.

“We are aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Some things are above sportsmanship. Is it really sportsmanship if you don’t even shake hands with the opposing team? That was our answer,” he said.

The move prompted a strong reaction from the cricketing fraternity as well as Mohsin Naqvi, who heads both the PCB and is also the serving head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Not only did Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, in protest, refused to attend the post-match presentation ceremony, breaking from broadcast norms where captains usually share their thoughts, the PCB has filed a formal complaint with the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), calling for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 — for reportedly instructing the omission of the customary handshake.

Apart from taking up the matter with the ICC, the PCB has also come down hard on its own Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla, and has suspended him over failure to promptly forward an official letter to the ICC concerning the Asia Cup handshake controversy.

The Sunday’s match, the first ever since the two countries were involved in an armed conflict triggered by India’s cross-border attack, followed by Pakistan’s retaliation and launch of “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”.

The hostilities left more than 70 people dead in missile, drone, and artillery exchanges, before a ceasefire was eventually reached.

The neighbours have not met on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012 and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral ground as part of a compromise deal. 

KARACHI:

For years, Pakistan’s T20I fortunes revolved around the calm consistency of Mohammad Rizwan and the class of Babar Azam at the top of the order. Together, they forged one of the most reliable opening partnerships in modern T20I cricket, a duo that often laid the foundation for Pakistan’s victories. Now, with the team moving away from the pair in search of a more aggressive approach, the effects are becoming glaringly obvious.

From 2021 to 2023, Rizwan and Babar opened in 51 T20I innings together, amassing over 2,000 runs at an average of 44.3 with a strike rate of nearly 130. No other pair in world cricket during that period came close to their output. They shared 9 century stands and 12 fifty-run partnerships, a record that speaks volumes of their consistency.

Perhaps their most memorable run came in the 2021 T20 World Cup, when their unbeaten 152-run stand stunned India and set the tone for Pakistan’s campaign. For a side often accused of fragility at the top, Rizwan and Babar were not just openers – they were a shield against collapse.

Fast forward to 2025, and Pakistan’s opening combination has shifted. Youngsters like Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Mohammad Haris have been given opportunities to bring flair and intent to the top order. While the strategy reflects a desire to modernize the T20 approach, the lack of stability is hurting Pakistan.

In the last 10 T20Is, Pakistan’s new opening combinations have averaged under 22 runs per stand, with only one fifty partnership. The contrast is stark compared to Rizwan and Babar’s era, where a 40+ start was almost routine. The struggles are evident in matches against top opposition, where early wickets expose an inexperienced middle order too soon.

 

What Pakistan is Missing

Babar’s role as an anchor and Rizwan’s ability to rotate strike while accelerating later provided balance. Their game might not have matched the high-voltage aggression of Indian or English openers, but it brought reliability. Crucially, their partnerships ensured Pakistan rarely started in chaos.

Now, with inconsistent starts, the middle order faces scoreboard pressure, and bowlers no longer enjoy the cushion of defendable totals. Against India recently, Pakistan’s openers fell cheaply, and the team limped to 127/9 – a total that Rizwan and Babar might have doubled with a solid stand.

The challenge for Pakistan is clear: balancing the aggression of the new breed with the proven solidity of their former stalwarts. Dropping both Rizwan and Babar simultaneously has left a leadership vacuum at the top. While the intent is to evolve, the execution shows that experience and consistency still matter.

If Pakistan are to mount serious challenges in upcoming tournaments, they must revisit their formula – whether by reinstating one of the seasoned campaigners alongside a youngster or by redefining roles to ensure their openers can both survive and score briskly.

Because right now, the absence of Babar and Rizwan isn’t just a tactical shift – it’s a gap Pakistan is struggling to fill.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup following a dispute during the Pakistan-India clash.

In a message posted on X, Naqvi confirmed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially lodged a complaint with the ICC and MCC, accusing the match referee of violating established rules and regulations.

In a written complaint registered with the ICC, the PCB stated that Pycroft instructed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands at the toss, which the board considers a breach of protocol and spirit of the game.

Mohsin Naqvi said the PCB has demanded Pycroft’s immediate removal from officiating in the tournament, stressing that such conduct undermines fair play and has sparked legitimate concerns regarding impartiality.

Earlier, Pakistan cricket team manager Naveed Akram Cheema has formally lodged a protest against the Indian team’s inappropriate behavior during the Asia Cup 2025 clash against the Green Shirts.

Cheema said the refusal of Indian players to shake hands was against the spirit of sportsmanship.

He added that Pakistan’s reaction was natural given the circumstances.

According to officials, the match referee had requested captains not to shake hands at the toss.

However, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha chose to boycott the post-match ceremony in protest against the Indian team’s conduct.