Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan Cancels Pre Match Conference Ahead Of Facing UAE

It is the must win situation in the Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025 Pakistan vs the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai that would decide who should make it to the Super 4s. 

Why did Pakistan Cancel The Pre Match Conference?

Pakistan did not even turn up to the obligatory pre match press conference which was due on 17 September before thE match. The boycott is the protest of the Men in Green, which is based on the behavior of the referee of the match in Pakistan, Andy Pycroft, who refereed in the previous match between Pakistan and India. The incident that triggered this was the defeat of Pakistan by India in their match. In the same match, the Indian players under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav declined to shake hands with the Pakistani players after winning the match by a margin of seven wickets at the Dubai international stadium. The camp of Pakistan thinks that the referee did not apply or enforce the ICC Code of Conduct or the MCC Laws when it comes to the case of the Spirit of Cricket. Pakistan officially requested that Andy Pycroft should not referee any more Asian Cup 2025 games. The International Cricket Council (ICC) however turned this demand down and replied that there was no proven evidence or any sort of evidence that could justify the removal of Pycroft.

Is Pakistan Going To Face Any Type Of Consequences For This?

Due to the ruling by ICC, Pakistan had resolved to boycott the pre match press conference in protest before their clash with UAE. This action might also have its price, the boycott might invite punishment either by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) or by ICC since attending press conferences is an obligatory part of tournament procedures. It means that the atmosphere is tense in the Pakistani locker room after their loss to India, and they come to this game burdened by stress on performance and procedure. If Pakistan draws with UAE, then they can stay put in Asia Cup 2025. 

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 Points Table: Sri Lanka Leading Group B, Bangladesh Just Behind