The Asia Cup 2025 witnessed a tense standoff when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly threatened to withdraw from the tournament over an incident involving ICC match referee Andy Pycroft. During Pakistan’s group-stage clash against India, Pycroft had instructed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Suryakumar Yadav at the toss.

Upset with the directive, PCB demanded Pycroft’s removal for the remainder of their matches, a demand that ICC did not entertain. Following the refusal, PCB delayed the team’s departure for their next game against the UAE, prompting a one-hour postponement of the fixture.

The situation eventually resolved after discussions with ICC officials, allowing the game to start late. Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar strongly criticised PCB’s actions, calling them unacceptable and a dangerous precedent.

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Writing for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar remarked, “The other thing that left a sour taste in the mouth is holding up the game and starting it one hour late. If the PCB had any issues to discuss with and about the match referee Andy Pycroft, then it had two full days after their loss to India and before the game against the UAE in which to do so.”

He added, “By keeping everybody in suspense and not even turning up at the ground until almost toss time, they held the game to ransom. There is simply no excuse for delaying the start of the game for an hour while haggling to get an apology from the match referee for something that was also not in any of the rule books.”

Gavaskar also questioned PCB’s claim that Pycroft had issued an apology. “Despite the ICC, who appoints the umpires and match referees, saying there was no apology given, the PCB insisted that they had secured one and so agreed to play. They pounced on the words ‘regrettable miscommunication’ to say that this was the apology,” he noted.

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The former India captain urged the ICC to ensure no team is allowed to engage in similar antics in the future, warning that such behaviour undermines the spirit and smooth conduct of international cricket.

This episode has sparked widespread debate about governance, on-field etiquette, and the authority of match officials in high-stakes tournaments like the Asia Cup.