Lahore : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesperson has clarified that no final decision has been made yet regarding the Asia Cup, although consultations are ongoing and a decision may be reached today. The spokesperson emphasized that any decision will be made keeping Pakistan’s interests in mind, and the national team and management have been instructed to continue full preparations for the matches.
According to sources, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has replaced match referee Andy Pycroft following Pakistan’s request, and Pakistan is now scheduled to play the match against the UAE as planned.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan had expressed strong concerns over Andy Pycroft’s behavior during the match against India and had threatened to boycott the remaining Asia Cup matches if the referee was not changed. During the Pakistan-India match on September 14, Andy Pycroft refused to shake hands with captain Salman Agha at the toss and instructed that this refusal should not be recorded.
After the match, Pakistan raised these concerns with the tournament director, who responded that actions were taken under the directives of the Indian Board and government. Indian cricket websites had earlier claimed that the ICC rejected Pakistan’s request, but the situation now appears to be clearer.
