Drama erupts! PCB labels Andy Pycroft ‘controversial’, says he apologised to Pakistan captain Salman Agha | Cricket News

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a press release that International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Andy Pycroft apologised to the nationwide staff’s captain and supervisor after the controversial “no-handshake” incident in the course of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup conflict on September 14. In a press release, the PCB mentioned Pycroft admitted the choice to stop the customary handshake between the 2 captains was a results of “miscommunication.” It added that the official had “apologized to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team” for the episode. The board, nevertheless, maintained that it had strongly objected to Pycroft’s dealing with of the matter and had formally appealed to the ICC to exchange him as referee for Pakistan’s following fixture in opposition to the United Arab Emirates. That request was turned down.Prior to the beginning of the sport, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha didn’t shake fingers with Pycroft, in contrast to UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem. “The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate the violation of the Code of Conduct during the match on September 14,” the PCB assertion added, stressing the governing physique’s willingness to evaluate the sequence of occasions.

PCB’s official assertion on X (Screengrab)

The controversy escalated additional on Wednesday when Pakistan’s recreation in opposition to the UAE was delayed by an hour in Dubai after uncertainty over the staff’s participation. Players have been ‘stopped’ from boarding the staff bus at their lodge even after their equipment baggage had been loaded, whereas the Asian Cricket Council deleted its posts for the match, including to the hypothesis of a possible boycott. Despite Pycroft’s apology, the ICC mentioned that an inside inquiry had already cleared him of wrongdoing, noting he had in truth acted to “help prevent potential embarrassment for both captains” by speaking the organisers’ resolution. It additionally burdened that match official appointments are centralised and “cannot be influenced by considerations of any member board.” The PCB’s place, nevertheless, stays in a clumsy spot, provided that they’ve acknowledged Pycroft’s apology whereas additionally signalling dissatisfaction that their attraction for his alternative was rejected. This leaves the staff caught in an issue simply earlier than an important Asia Cup tie.