The Asia Cup 2025 has seen more drama off the field than on it since the start of the tournament last week. After Pakistan's loss to India in Dubai on Sunday, what should have been a routine post-match gesture turned into a full-blown controversy.
The Indian team declined to shake hands with their opponents, citing solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav had even denied a customary handshake after the toss to his Pakistani counterpart Salman Agha.
The move left Pakistan and their cricket board furious as they lodged an official complaint with the ICC, accusing India of breaching their Code of Conduct and Spirit of Cricket laws.
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At the centre of it all is match referee Andy Pycroft, whom the PCB has accused of sparking the storm and had demanded his removal from the tournament. On Tuesday, ICC declined PCB's appeal and their demands as they did not find Pycroft guilty of any charges.
PCB had even threatened to pull out of the tournament if Pycroft was not removed. However, after ICC's verdict, it remains unclear whether Pakistan will continue playing in the competition.
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Why did Pakistan cancel pre-match press conference ahead of UAE clash?
As ambiguity surrounds Pakistan's participation in the Asia Cup 2025, a day before their do-or-die clash against hosts UAE, the team decided to cancel their pre-match press conference, according to journalist Kushan Sarkar.
While the PCB are yet to clarify why they did not face the press on matchday -1, Sarkar believes that no one from the Pakistan team wants to face questions on whether they would boycott the tournament.