The Asia Cup 2025 has been marred by controversy following a recent India-Pakistan match, with former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja launching a scathing attack on ICC-appointed match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of bias towards the Indian team. Raja's remarks came after a series of events that have fueled tensions between the two cricketing nations.
The controversy began when Indian players reportedly refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts before and after their Asia Cup face-off, citing solidarity with the victims of the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attack in April. Subsequently, the PCB alleged that Pycroft prevented Pakistan captain Salman Agha from shaking hands with India captain Suryakumar Yadav at the toss, calling it a "misconduct of the highest order".
Pakistan demanded Pycroft's removal from the Asia Cup and threatened to pull out of the tournament. However, the ICC rejected their plea twice. Amidst this backdrop, Raja alleged that Pycroft has been a "permanent fixer" for India, claiming he has officiated in 90 of their international matches. Raja expressed his concerns, stating that it felt one-sided and such a thing should not happen on a neutral platform.
The PCB claimed that Pycroft apologized to them before Pakistan's final Group A game against the UAE. According to the PCB, Pycroft attributed the incident to miscommunication and the ICC is prepared to investigate any potential Code of Conduct violations during the match. The PCB also stated that the ICC expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match. However, a source told news agency PTI that "The apology has only been tendered for the miscommunication and ICC will only conduct its investigation only when PCB furnish further evidence as to what was Pycroft's fault".
Adding fuel to the fire, Raja criticized Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav's post-match presentation comments. Raja's "biggest objection was what was said in the post-match presentation (by Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav). That editorial was the critical point".
Suryakumar Yadav, born on September 14, 1990, is an Indian international cricketer known for his aggressive right-handed middle-order batting. He represents the Indian national cricket team and currently captains the Twenty20 International side. He was part of the national team that won the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup. Yadav has scored more than 3,000 runs in international cricket, with four centuries, all but one scored in T20Is. He held the top ranking in the ICC men's player rankings for T20Is from October 2022 to June 2024 and was named ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2022 and 2023.
Andy Pycroft, the match referee at the center of the controversy, is a former Zimbabwe cricketer who played 3 Tests and 20 ODIs. He has been an ICC match referee since 2009 and has officiated in numerous international matches, including Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
The incident has sparked debate about the role of politics in sports and the importance of maintaining neutrality in cricket matches. While the PCB has accepted Pycroft's apology and agreed to continue participating in the Asia Cup, the controversy has undoubtedly strained relations between the two cricket boards. The incident also led to a delay in the start of Pakistan's match against the UAE. Pakistan eventually won the match against UAE by 41 runs to qualify for the Super 4s of the Asia Cup 2025, setting up a rematch with India on September 21.
