NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) claim that match referee Andy Pycroft tendered an apology to Pakistan manager and captain before the start of the delayed match against UAE on Wednesday seemed to have fallen flat.

The drama unfolded with the Pakistan team refusing to leave their hotel after learning that Pycroft will officiate in their game against UAE. But the team finally took a u-turn and arrived at the stadium after they received an "apology" from Pycroft.

"ICC's controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologized to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team. Pycroft had prohibited the captains of both teams from shaking hands during the India-Pakistan match," the PCB said in a statement on 'X'.

PCB

"The Pakistan Cricket Board had strongly reacted to Andy Pycroft's action. Andy Pycroft termed the incident on September 14 as a result of miscommunication and apologized," it added.

Pakistan had held Pycroft responsible for the embarrassment it faced after Suryakumar Yadav did not exchange a handshake with Salman Agha during the toss as a gesture of solidarity with the victims of Pahalgam terrorist attack.

In the aftermath, PCB lodged two separate complaints with the ICC demanding the removal of Pycroft but the global body rejected both.

Did Pycroft really apologise to Pakistan?

The video circulating on social media, showing Pycroft sitting alongside Salman Ali Agha, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema, and coach Mike Hesson at the Dubai International Stadium, has no audio - raising questions over the PCB's claim.

"There was no question of any apology. Especially from someone who did no wrong," said a well-placed source to TimesofIndia.com.

The ICC gave a six-point rebuttal to the PCB in which it maintained that the Board's complaints were baseless.

"The ICC's investigation was conducted on the basis of the information provided in the report lodged by the PCB. We took the report at Face value and note that no supporting documentation or evidence was provided with it.