Match referee Andy Pycroft has been found to be in collusion with Indian officials, and the act was reportedly carried out deliberately during the high-voltage Pakistan-India clash in the Asia Cup 2025, investigation by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has confirmed.
According to details, the controversial incident took place during the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE. Match referee Andy Pycroft was found to have violated the code of conduct during the Pakistan-India match.
Sources revealed that an internal investigation by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed that Pycroft acted on the instructions of an Indian venue manager. He allegedly told Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Reportedly, just before the toss, Pycroft asked Salman to mute his microphone and listen privately. He then instructed him not to shake hands with the Indian captain after the toss.
As per International Cricket Council (ICC) rules, a match referee is not authorized to give direct instructions to team captains or players; any communication must be relayed through the team manager.
It’s worth noting that after India’s victory in the match, their players left the field without shaking hands with the Pakistani team, violating sportsmanship norms.
According to a Pakistan team spokesperson, the match referee had also requested both captains not to shake hands during the toss.
Even after the match, the players did not exchange handshakes, and the Indian team walked straight to their dressing room. In protest, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony.
Subsequently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demanded that Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft be removed from the Asia Cup. The PCB also warned that failure to act could lead to Pakistan pulling out of further matches in the tournament.
