Pakistan cancel press conference ahead of Asia Cup match against UAE

Dubai: Amid the post-match handshake controversy, Pakistan have cancelled their scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of their fixture against the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed the cancellation on Tuesday evening. Despite pulling out of the media engagement, Pakistan will go ahead with their scheduled practice session. The move is directly tied to the fallout from the handshake incident following Pakistan’s crushing seven-wicket defeat to India in Dubai on Sunday.

Shaking hands before and after matches is a long-standing tradition in cricket. However, Indian players chose not to engage in the customary gesture with their Pakistani counterparts, citing non-sporting reasons. In response, Pakistan opted out of the post-match presentation ceremony.

India’s decision came in the wake of heightened tensions between the two nations, following a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. The attack was reportedly carried out by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

The situation further escalated after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a formal complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC's laws regarding the spirit of the game.

Even PCB Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla was suspended for failing to send a crucial letter to the ICC on time.

According to report, Wahla was tasked with forwarding the PCB’s formal complaint to the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against match referee Andy Pycroft who was accused of instructing both captains to skip the customary prematch handshake. The delay reportedly angered PCB leadership and led to his suspension.

However, sources indicate that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is unlikely to act on Pakistan’s complaint and is expected to dismiss the request.