The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday cancelled the pre-match press conference of the Pakistan-United Arab Emirates (UAE) men’s Asia Cup match as the crisis from the fallout of the Pakistan-India match worsens.
The PCB had lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against match referee Andy Pycroft over his alleged violations of rules pertaining to the “Spirit of Cricket“, with the board claiming that the referee had asked the Pakistan and India captains “not to shake hands at the time of the toss” for last Sunday’s match.
“Pakistan will not be holding their pre-match press conference today,” the Asian Cricket Council confirmed in a statement on Tuesday ahead of Pakistan’s match against the UAE tomorrow.
Officials of both the PCB and the UAE Cricket Board confirmed earlier to Dawn.com that the press conference had been cancelled.
Pakistan men’s team media manager Syed Naeem Ahmed confirmed to Dawn.com separately that the team would still hold their practice session today.
Indian media outlets claimed earlier in the day, citing “unnamed sources” that the ICC had dismissed the PCB’s complaint seeking the removal of match referee Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup over the official’s conduct violation in Pakistan’s match against India.
However, Indian cricket news outlet Cricbuzz reported, “When contacted, the PCB has denied receiving any communication from the ICC.”
The PCB is yet to issue an official statement on the alleged development.
Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema had flagged his concerns with the match referee and the tournament director Andy Russel about the Indian team’s behaviour, Pyroft’s own actions at the toss, and the umpires’ role in allowing the Indians to walk off the field with the handshake after the match.
A PCB source, requesting anonymity, told Dawn.com on Monday that Cheema had also approached tournament director Andy Russel with his concerns, upon which he was informed that the match referee had been acting at the behest of the BCCI.
It compelled the PCB to write to the ICC for the withdrawal of Pycroft from the match officials’ roster for the ongoing Asia Cup.
The PCB official had said that the board is contemplating the withdrawal of Pakistan teams from the Asia Cup if Pycroft continues to officiate the Asia Cup matches. And, the PCB seems prepared for the extreme measure, as Naqvi tweeted on Monday: “There is nothing more important to me than the honour and prestige of my country.”
Pycroft is one of the two match referees — the other being Richie Richardson — that the ICC has nominated for this tournament. He is slated to officiate Pakistan’s next game on Wednesday, against the UAE. Pyrcoft had also officiated Pakistan’s first game of the tournament against Oman.
Pakistan were expected to beat the home side in Dubai tomorrow, and they would have faced neighbours India again on Sunday in the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup.
Additional reporting by Abdul Ghaffar.
