A fresh twist in the fight between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the latter has now responded to ICC's email, accusing them of violating rules while filming the meeting between match referee Andy Pycroft and the PCB.
ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta sent a strongly worded email, raising concerns about the PCB's repeated breaches of rules.
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What seemed like a normal pre-match moment with match referee Andy Pycroft has now turned into a major controversy that could invite serious consequences.
What has happened between ICC and PCB?
The drama began when PCB shared a video of Pycroft speaking to the Pakistan players ahead of their clash against the UAE in Dubai. This act, however, reportedly went against ICC protocols.
Filming inside the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) is strictly prohibited, and the presence of unauthorised personnel only made matters worse.
According to reports, PCB ignored instructions not to bring media manager Naeem Gilani into the referee’s room. When ICC officials objected, Pakistan allegedly threatened to boycott the game if their demands were not accepted. The game eventually started an hour late, but the issue had already caught the eye of ICC leadership.
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PCB responds to ICC - Denies violating rules
The PCB has now sent a response to the ICC, denying any wrongdoing during the filming of the meeting. According to Revsportz, the Pakistan cricket team's media manager had authorised access to the PMOA and thus his presence was not a violation of ICC rules.
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What next for Pakistan cricket team, PCB and the ICC?
It now remains to be seen how ICC reacts to the PCB's response and whether they will consider punishing the board by imposing serious sanctions. As of now, the Pakistani team are scheduled to face India in their first match of the Super 4 stage on Sunday, September 21.