Match referee Andy Pycroft was welcomed warmly at the India vs West Indies Test; previously, he was at the centre of the Asia Cup handshake controversy, when the two rival teams India and Pakistan met at the group stage. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) claimed that Pycroft failed to uphold the spirit of the game between India and Pakistan, after the no handshake row.

Ravi Shastri did not leave much space, and gave a glowing introduction to Andy Pycroft during the toss of the first India vs West Indies Test match, “Back in the house, all the way from Dubai, in the hot seat. Andy Pycroft."

With all due course of events of September 14 clashes in the India-Pakistan group stage match tensions arose when the players of India refused to shake hands with the players of Pakistan. The PCB went on to file an official complaint against Andy Pycroft with the ICC, seeking his removal from the tournament and threatening to boycott it. The ICC, however, refused to accede to the demand and clarified that Pycroft had just passed on BCCI's message to the Pakistani camp.

The standoff meant Pakistan's next fixture against the UAE started an hour late, while the PCB deliberated on the options to explore. Just before the game was expected to begin, the PCB released a statement claiming that Pycroft had offered an apology for the miscommunication that took place during the India game. The statement was also followed by a video posted on the PCB's social media pages; it showed Pycroft engaging in a discussion with Pakistan's captain Salman Agha and Mike Hesson, the team's coach, with no audio.

Later, Ramiz Raja, in a heated press conference, went further and controversially claimed that Pycroft worked for India, while Najam Sethi and Mohsin Naqvi, both former chiefs of the PCB, took their seats beside him. “Andy Pycroft has always been India’s favourite. I think he’s their permanent fixer, he has officiated in nearly 90 Indian matches. This is biased and one-sided. A neutral platform shouldn’t work this way. I just hope better sense prevails,” Raja stated in front of reporters.