The International Cricket Council (ICC) has formally warned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for multiple Asia Cup 2025 violations. The action came just before Pakistan’s final Group A encounter against the UAE at the Dubai International Stadium.
PCB delayed the start of the game by over an hour after protesting the ICC’s refusal to suspend match referee Andy Pycroft. The protest followed the handshake controversy during the India vs Pakistan clash, where PCB blamed Pycroft and even threatened a withdrawal from the tournament.
Pakistan’s Protest Leads to Match Delay
On the morning of the UAE game, PCB officials asked players to remain in their hotel rooms. Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, joined by former chiefs Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja, convened an emergency meeting. This internal discussion stretched long enough to push back the scheduled start time. Eventually, players were cleared to play after heated deliberations.
Before the toss, PCB posted on social media that Pycroft had apologised to the squad. Minutes later, a muted clip appeared online showing Pycroft in conversation with captain Salman Ali Agha, team manager Naved Akram Cheema, and head coach Mike Hesson.
However, ICC sources revealed that the board’s conduct breached the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol.
“The ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has written to the PCB stating that the board has been guilty of repeated PMOA violations on match day. PCB is in receipt of the e-mail,” a tournament source confirmed to PTI.
Media Manager’s Involvement Raises Concerns
Despite repeated warnings, PCB pushed media manager Naeem Gillani into the referee’s meeting, violating regulations. According to reports, Naeem also attempted to enter with his phone, which ICC anti-corruption officials immediately blocked.
When denied, PCB threatened to boycott the match, further escalating tensions. Eventually, the conversation between Pycroft and Pakistan’s camp was filmed without audio — still a breach of PMOA guidelines.
“The ICC, in order to preserve the interest of the sport, the tournament and the stakeholders involved accepted PCB’s asks although this demonstrated a complete disregard for the sanctity of the PMOA, where the meeting took place,” the source added.
The ICC later clarified that only regret was expressed over a miscommunication, contradicting PCB’s public claim of an apology.
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