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Despite Pakistan's appeals, Andy Pycroft is the lucifer referee for the Asia Cup crippled betwixt Pakistan vs UAE (Image via X/@ICC & Getty Images)
Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 clash against the United Arab Emirates connected Wednesday was thrown into disorder aft the ICC refused to regenerate lucifer referee Andy Pycroft, contempt Pakistan’s objections. Hours earlier the scheduled commencement successful Dubai, uncertainty clouded implicit the fixture arsenic Pakistan players remained astatine their edifice adjacent aft their bags had been loaded onto the squad bus.
Confusion deepened erstwhile the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) deleted its posts astir the game, fuelling speculation that Pakistan mightiness not instrumentality the field.
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The stand-off stemmed from the fallout of the “no-handshake” contention pursuing Pakistan’s decision to India earlier successful the tournament. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) accused Pycroft of mishandling the situation, but an ICC enquiry ruled that helium “did not breach immoderate lucifer protocols” and, successful fact, had “helped forestall imaginable embarrassment for some captains by informing them that the organisers had decided to skip the handshake astatine the toss.
”Stressing its position, the ICC stated, “Appointment of lucifer officials is simply a centralised ICC determination and it can’t beryllium influenced by considerations of immoderate subordinate board. This would acceptable a unsafe precedence for the future.” Despite the ruling, PCB president Mohsin Naqvi held consultations with erstwhile chiefs Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi, portion spokesperson Amir Mir announced that the commencement had been pushed backmost an hour.
“The consultation process is ongoing… Immediately, the lucifer betwixt UAE and Pakistan has been delayed by 1 hour,” Mir confirmed. Speculation implicit a imaginable forfeit intensified aft Geo News reported Pycroft had near the Dubai International Stadium for ICC headquarters. At the aforesaid time, Raja and Sethi were seen arriving astatine the PCB bureau successful Lahore, with a property league country prepared for a imaginable announcement. Eventually, Naqvi moved to extremity the uncertainty, posting, “We person asked the Pakistan squad to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Further details to follow.” By then, the UAE broadside was already astatine the ground, highlighting Pakistan’s awkward presumption arsenic the enactment implicit Pycroft near their run successful contention and embarrassment.Paksitan is present near successful an awkward spot arsenic they present play the crippled contempt initially 'stopping' their players from boarding the squad hotel, appealing to ICC and adjacent with talks of a boycott. Despite each of Pakistan's efforts, Andy Pycroft is the lucifer referee for the clash.
