Is Pakistan Pulling Out of Asia Cup 2025? What’s the Reason?

On Monday, September 15, 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) called for the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup, accusing him of breaching the ICC's Code of Conduct during Pakistan’s high-profile clash against India. The match was played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, one of the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world.

According to the PCB match referee accusation, Pycroft failed to take appropriate action after the Indian players chose not to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts at the end of the match, an act the PCB described as "unsporting" and contrary to the spirit of the game.

The issue was initially raised with the ACC, where Pakistan’s team manager Naveed Cheema strongly protested the Indian team’s post-match behaviour. In response, Pakistan did not send their captain to the post-match ceremony as a form of protest.

Pakistan's Asia Cup Pull Out Warning Adds to the Drama

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), confirmed that a formal complaint had been filed with the International Cricket Council (ICC), stating:

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) main objection appears to be that Andy Pycroft, the match referee, showed bias during the recent Asia Cup clash against India. According to PCB sources, the board is particularly upset over Pycroft allegedly instructing both captains not to shake hands during the toss, a move they argue falls outside the scope of a match referee’s authority.

According to rumoured reports, the PCB has escalated the matter significantly and has even threatened to boycott their upcoming match against the UAE on September 17, unless Pycroft, who is also scheduled to officiate that fixture, is removed. While this specific threat of boycott hasn’t been officially confirmed, it is believed that such a concern was raised in the formal complaint letter submitted to the ICC.

ICC to Reject PCB's Demand

Despite the warning, the ICC has rejected PCB's demand to replace the match referee Andy Pycroft. According to Cricbuzz, Pycroft had very little role to play in the handshake controversy that led to all this drama. The ICC has officially informed the PCB about the matter as there is lack of evidence to blame Andy Pycroft in this controversy.

Andy Pycroft, the match referee at the centre of the controversy, is one of the most seasoned officials in the game, having been part of the ICC Elite Panel since 2009. Alongside Pycroft, the ICC had also put forward the name of West Indian Richie Richardson as a match referee for the Asia Cup. The Elite Panel currently consists of five referees, including India’s Javagal Srinath, New Zealand’s Jeff Crowe, and Sri Lanka’s Ranjan Madugalle.

Meanwhile, the India vs Pakistan match, which is also the greatest rivalry in cricket, ended in favor of the Men in Blue as they thrashed their counterparts to book a place in the next stage. It was a professional performance from India, who downplayed Pakistan in every other department.