ICC likely to replace Pycroft from Pakistan matches

ISLAMABAD: In a late-night development, Pakistan’s strong reservations over Andy Pycroft’s controversial role appear to have borne fruit as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has shown willingness to withdraw him from officiating Pakistan’s remaining Asia Cup fixtures.

Pycroft is expected to be replaced as match referee for Wednesday’s crucial encounter between Pakistan and the UAE at the Dubai Sports City Stadium. While the PCB has maintained silence in public, sources in Dubai confirmed to The News that the Pakistan team management was informed late Tuesday evening to “stay ready and focused” on the UAE match, a clear indication that Pakistan has decided to move forward rather than boycott the tournament as threatened earlier.

PCB spokesperson Aamir Mir, however, kept cards close to his chest. “We have not decided on the Asia Cup yet. Negotiations are under way. A decision is expected on Wednesday morning. The decision will be taken considering the best interest of country and its cricket,” he shared in a brief message to journalists on the PCB WhatsApp group.

The crisis stemmed from Pycroft’s conduct during Pakistan’s tense match against India on Sunday. Against all protocols, the match referee instructed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart, Suryakumar Yadav, ahead of the game. The PCB viewed this as not only inappropriate but also “blatantly biased,” fuelling outrage in Islamabad and prompting an official complaint to the ICC.

The ICC initially rejected Pakistan’s demand to sack Pycroft, insisting that he acted on information relayed by the on-field officials. “The ICC has made it clear to the PCB that match officials had informed Andy Pycroft before the toss that the handshake would not take place, and he was just following the situation as it unfolded,” a source confirmed. Nevertheless, Pakistan’s strong reaction — including a boycott of Tuesday’s pre-match press conference forced the ICC into a rethink, culminating in the appointment of Richardson, one of the most respected figures in world cricket, as the match referee for the Pakistan–UAE clash.

Back home, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi cut short his engagements in Lahore and rushed to Islamabad, where he held marathon consultations with senior advisors and government officials at the Ministry of Interior. The urgency of the matter underlined the PCB’s determination to protect the team’s interests in the Asia Cup and its refusal to accept what it described as “unfair treatment” at the hands of match officials. By Tuesday midnight, the signals from Dubai grew clearer: Pakistan would play on. The decision to replace Pycroft with Richardson is being seen as a face-saving compromise that allows all stakeholders-PCB, ICC, and ACC to move past the impasse without derailing the tournament.

The real test, however, lies ahead. With Pakistan set to face the UAE in what has suddenly become a symbolic “make-or-break” fixture, the cricketing world will be watching closely to see how the team channels its off-field frustrations into on-field performance.