The International Cricket Council (ICC) categorically rejected all the demands made by the Pakistan Cricket Board over the handshake row in the ongoing Asia Cup. On Wednesday, Pakistan deliberately delayed the start of their final group stage tie against UAE by an hour as they were stubborn to get Andy Pycroft removed as the match referee. Irked by the handshake snub in the IND vs PAK tie, Pakistan threatened to boycott the match against UAE if Pycroft wasn’t replaced and even asked the ICC to investigate if there was any violations of the Code of Conduct.
How ICC snubbed PCB and their demands
As per NDTV, an ICC insider spilt the beans on what transpired between the global body and the PCB after the handshake row on September 14. In a statement, Pakistan’s cricket body accused Pycroft of allegedly instructing the captains (Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha) to not shake hands during the toss at the IND vs PAK tie. The report claims that the ICC not only found Pycroft not guilty but also denied PCB’s demand to remove him as match referee and launch a probe into his alleged misconduct.
Here’s a timeline of the exchange between PCB and ICC as per the report:
- September 15: ICC receives an email from the PCB complaining about the incident at the toss during IND vs PAK
- PCB alleged that Mr. Pycroft’s conduct was in violation of the Spirit of Cricket and the ICC Code of Conduct, and requested that he be withdrawn from his duties in the Asia Cup.
- The ICC conducts an immediate review and it was concluded that Pycroft had acted entirely in accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct and the Spirit of Cricket. “He had simply conveyed to both captains the instructions he had received from tournament organisers, with the objective of preserving the sanctity of the toss and avoiding any potential embarrassment arising from information asymmetry. These findings were formally shared with the PCB.”
- Even after that, the PCB continued to allege violations and informing the ICC of its unwillingness to take the field with Pycroft as match referee.
- The ICC reiterates its findings to the PCB, making it clear that there were no grounds for either the removal or reassignment of Pycroft. The ICC also received a request from ACC to reassign Pycroft. This request was reviewed and rejected on the same grounds, consistent with the position already communicated to the PCB.
- On the suggestion of Pycroft, the ICC facilitated a meeting between the Pakistan captain, team manager, and Pycroft in the referee’s room. During the meeting, Pycroft expressed regret if any miscommunication had occurred but emphasised that he had only relayed a message from the venue manager and had not violated the Code of Conduct in any way.
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