(Image Credit: ANI)
Before the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 between India and Pakistan, former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has defended the match referee Andy Pycroft who has been involved in a controversy of post match handshake. The mishap happened on the group stage match where the Indian players including the captain Suryakumar Yadav, declined to shake hands with the Pakistani team. This move caused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to criticize the move and demand the removal of Pycroft in the tournament.
In his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat, criticized the attitude of PCB, saying that Pycroft was only doing his job as a match referee and had no obligation to enforce after match gestures such as handshakes. He pointed out that, the Indian team had communicated their decision to the match officials ahead of time and Pycroft was merely communicating this to the Pakistani captain, Salman Ali Agha. Ashwin added that Pycroft is not a school master or a school head who could force players to shake hands, and this made the demands of PCB to be absurd.
On its part, the International Cricket Council (ICC) defended Pycroft and denied the PCB their demands to see him dropped and made it clear that he had not contravened any of its protocols. Another meeting with the Pakistani team management was also organized by the ICC whereby it was explained that any misunderstanding was apologized but no apology was made. Ashwin shared his view that, under the position of Pycroft, PCB should apologize to him and not the other way round. The match between the Super 4 is near and the controversy still rages on with Ashwin stirring up more controversies in the debate. It is now a case of cricket back on the field and both the teams strive to play in the field despite the off field drama.
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