ICC has rejected Pakistan’s demand to remove the match referee Andy Pycroft over the ‘no handshake’ controversy in the India vs Pakistan clash on Sunday (September 14). The decision, reportedly, was also conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last night. For the unversed, the controversy has brewed after team India players refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players and walked away from the ground after winning the match while the men in green waited for the Indian camp to come out.
As for Andy Pycroft, the PCB was said to be miffed with his role in asking the Pakistan captain, Salman Ali Agha, to avoid shaking hands with the India skipper Suryakumar Yadav at the toss. However, according to Cricbuzz, the ICC has reasoned it out, saying that the ACC officials on the ground are understood to have told Pycroft that there will be no handshake at the toss.
The ICC, in its letter, has cleared the air on the matter and refuted Pakistan’s belief that Pycroft was acting on behalf of the Indian team.
PCB also lodged an official complaint against team India
After India refused to shake hands at the end of the match, the fuming PCB also lodged an official complaint against the men in blue over the matter. Moreover, PCB also sacked its own top official, Usman Wahla, who is the Director of International Cricket Operations, for not taking timely action on the matter.
Reportedly, Pakistan had also threatened to pull out of the match against the UAE if there demand to replace the match referee was not met. It remains to be seen if Salman Ali Agha and his men would take the extreme step now that the ICC has officially rejected their demand.
