NEW DELHI: After Pakistan players were snubbed handshakes by India following the Asia Cup match in Dubai on Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board appears unwilling to let the matter go and has demanded the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the tournament.
PCB alleged violation of the ICC's code of conduct by Pycroft during the game against India. Pycroft officiated the match at the end of which Indian players did not shake hands with the rival team. The PCB has lodged a formal complaint against Pycroft with the ICC.
Well done, Team India! After thrashing Pakistan, the Indian team didn’t even come out to shake hands with the losing side, as is customary.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 14, 2025
The best part: Captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed solidarity with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. He dedicated… pic.twitter.com/MlAC8axCGa
"The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup," PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said on 'X'.
Pakistan had earlier taken up the issue with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), labelling the Indian players' conduct as "unsporting".
Proper humiliation for Pakistanis.
— Amit Kumar Sindhi (@AMIT_GUJJU) September 14, 2025
First lost the game one sided, then denied even a handshake while waiting like a dog waits for bones.
Respect for team India 🫡#INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/La3WqPyztF
"Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players' behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the sport of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony," read a PCB statement issued earlier.
The arch-rivals faced each other on a cricket ground for the first time since the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir and the ensuing 'Operation Sindoor' by India on terror infrastructure across the border in May.
While matters have escalated now, it all began at the coin toss for the Group A contest when Suryakumar and his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha did not engage in the customary handshake, drawing the attention of the cricket fraternity.
PCB has claimed that it was referee Pycroft who asked the captains to skip the pre-match handshake ritual. India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha also refused to make eye contact.
India's 'No Handshake' policy could be repeated as both teams are likely to meet two more times in the remainder of the tournament.
Suryakumar had earlier justified the decision to not shake hands with the opposition, saying it was their way of showing solidarity with the families of the Pahalgam terrorist attack victims.
Twenty six Indian tourists were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists, prompting India to launch Operation Sindoor in retaliation.
The arch-rivals faced each other on a cricket ground for the first time since the terror attack in Kashmir and the retaliatory strikes by India on terror infrastructure across the border in May.
A handshake between captains of both teams during coin toss before matches in international cricket is a convention and not specified as a rule.
On Sunday, both captains simply submitted their respective team sheets to Pycroft, spoke with TV commentator Ravi Shastri, who was conducting the toss, and headed back to their respective dressing rooms.
Later, the Pakistan skipper boycotted the TV presentation ceremony to protest India's refusal to shake hands after the match that India won by seven wickets.
(With PTI Inputs)
