The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken disciplinary action against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for violating tournament protocols during the Asia Cup 2025. The violations occurred prior to Pakistan’s final Group A match against the UAE in Dubai. The root of the issue was the PCB’s insistence on removing match referee Andy Pycroft following a contentious handshake incident during Pakistan’s previous match against India. The ICC denied the request, yet the PCB persisted, even threatening to leave the tournament. Leading up to the UAE game, further attempts to resolve the situation caused disruptions. The Pakistan players were instructed to stay in their hotel rooms while PCB officials, including chairman Mohsin Naqvi, and former chiefs Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja, held an extended meeting, which delayed the start of the game. Just before the toss, the PCB announced on social media that Pycroft had apologized. A video clip was then posted, showing the Zimbabwean official in conversation with the Pakistan captain and team management. The ICC subsequently sent an email to the PCB, citing misconduct and breaches of Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) rules. The ICC noted that the PCB allowed its media manager access to record the meeting despite previous warnings. The ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta, informed the PCB that the board had repeatedly violated PMOA rules on match day. The PCB brought their media manager to the meeting, and he was denied entry by the ICC Anti-Corruption Manager for attempting to bring a mobile phone into the PMOA. To prevent further escalation, the ICC agreed to a compromise where Pycroft met with the Pakistan manager and captain before the toss. Despite this, the PCB insisted on recording the meeting and subsequently posted the video online, leading to further speculation. The ICC clarified that Pycroft only expressed ‘regret over miscommunication,’ contradicting the PCB’s claim of an official apology.
