The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly taking action against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for multiple violations of regulations and protocols during the recent Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai. The violations include filming a meeting with match referee Andy Pycroft in a restricted area and the subsequent sharing of the video on social media. The ICC is also unhappy with a PCB press release that falsely claimed Pycroft had "apologized" to Pakistan.

The controversy began during the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan, when the Indian team did not shake hands with the Pakistani team after the match, as a sign of respect for victims of a terror attack. The PCB lodged a complaint with the ICC against Pycroft, alleging that he instructed the captains not to shake hands at the toss and prevented the exchange of team sheets. The ICC rejected the complaint.

Prior to Pakistan's match against the UAE on September 17, the PCB requested the ICC to remove Pycroft from his position. When this request was denied, the PCB allegedly threatened to boycott the match. The PCB insisted that its media manager be present at a meeting between Pycroft, the Pakistan captain, and the coach. The ICC's Anti-Corruption Manager denied the request, citing rules that bar phones and cameras from the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA). The PCB allegedly threatened to pull out of the match if their demand was not met. Eventually, the media manager was allowed into the meeting and filmed it.

The ICC views the filming of the meeting as a violation of multiple tournament regulations. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta sent a strongly-worded email to the PCB, questioning why the meeting was filmed inside the PMOA. The ICC was also reportedly not informed of how the PCB intended to use the footage. The PCB then shared the video on social media, seemingly as proof of Pycroft's apology to the Pakistan team. However, the ICC clarified that Pycroft only expressed regret over a miscommunication during the handshake row and did not issue an apology.

The ICC is reportedly considering disciplinary action against the PCB for the violations. These include breaching PMOA protocols, unauthorized filming, delaying the start of the match against UAE, and misrepresenting the nature of Pycroft's comments. Sources say that the PCB failed to provide supporting documentation or player statements with its complaint against Pycroft. The ICC has also clarified that the match referee is not responsible for enforcing handshake protocols.