DUBAI: Andy Pycroft remains the fighting judge for the highly expected Super Four clash between Pakistan and India in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The controversy began during the group stage meeting on September 14, when Pycroft directed captains Salman Ali Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands on the thrown.
The incident led to visible excitement, with both skippers avoiding usual movements before and after the match.
After India’s victory, their players returned directly to the dressing room, leaving Pakistan’s team and waiting for the field, which further inflamed the situation.
Pakistan’s team leader, Naveed Akram Cheema, filed an official protest and argued that Pycroft was lagging the case. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi also filed a formal complaint with ICC and sought his removal from officing Pakistan’s furniture.
Although the request was rejected, Pycroft later apologized for Pakistan’s captain and team management prior to their match against UAE, which had already been delayed due to discussions behind the scenes.
Despite the turmoil out of the field, Pakistan continued to defeat the UAE and secure their qualification for Super Four Stage with India.
Elsewhere, Sri Lanka peaked group B undefeated by six points, while Bangladesh ended up in second place at four.
In Group A, India led the position after their victory over Oman, where Pakistan ended up in second place. Oman ended without victory while UAE managed one.
Super Four Stage starts on Saturday in Dubai with Sri Lanka against Bangladesh. India and Pakistan will merge in the same place on Sunday before Pakistan undertakes Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on September 23.
