ICC to shut door on PCB’s Andy Pycroft plea amid Pakistan's Asia Cup boycott threat: 'Referee acted on ACC's message'

Indian players' refusal to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after their Asia Cup win on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium snowballed into quite a controversy. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav justified the act, saying that it was meant to show solidarity with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, which had occurred earlier this year, where 26 civilians were gunned down by terrorists.

PCB was left fuming at India's act. Firstly, Pakistan team manager Naved Cheema filed a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), headed by Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief, alleging that it was Pycroft who initiated the no-handshake storm at the toss. Later, PCB sought ICC's intervention, threatening to pull out of the tournament if their demand to remove Pycroft from the panel of referees was not met. "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," Naqvi said on 'X'.

Although the ICC has yet to issue an official response, Cricbuzz reported that the governing body is unlikely to heed PCB's demand as it found no sufficient grounds to act on it. In fact, the report added that the ICC saw a minimal role in the entire handshake fiasco.

"The dominant view within the ICC is that Pycroft had only a minimal role in the handshake episode, and that all he may have done was convey a message to the Pakistan captain to avoid the public embarrassment of one captain refusing to shake hands with the other at the toss. The general view is that it would set a wrong precedent to change a match official at the demand of one member when, prima facie, he had no serious role in the controversy that arose after Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts following an Asia Cup league fixture on Sunday (September 14) night at the Dubai International Stadium," the report read.

What has ICC got to do with it? Someone from ACC got in touch with Pyrcroft

A separate report in the Times of India revealed that Pycroft is speculated to have followed instructions from someone in the ACC and urged the two captains not to shake hands at the toss.

"What has ICC got to do with it? The role ends when the officials are appointed. Someone from the ACC had a chat with Pycroft before the game and what happened at the toss was a result of the chat. About time PCB chief finds out what happened at the toss was a result of the chat. About time PCB chief finds out what that chat was, who did it and why. Instead of pointing fingers at ICC to further fuel fire," a source tracking the developments told TOI.

It is yet to be seen what PCB does next, having threatened to pull out of the tournament if their demands are not met. "All this talk and posting on social media is good for the optics and narrative back home, but it makes very little sense. If they had a problem with India not shaking hands, even that's mandatory," added the source.

Meanwhile, PTI reported that ACC is considering a middle ground by removing Pycroft from all remaining Pakistan matches. The Zimbabwean was slated to officiate the team's final group stage game against the UAE on Wednesday.

"A respectable solution could be the removal of Pycroft from Pakistan's matches. In that case, Richie Richardson is an acceptable name for PCB," a source privy to developments in PCB told PTI.

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