Asia Cup 2025: PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi breaks silence on boycott call

Dubai: The Asia Cup 2025 was hit by controversy on Wednesday when Pakistan briefly threatened to pull out of the tournament ahead of their match against the UAE. The team stayed back at their hotel past the scheduled departure time, fuelling speculation that they might boycott the event altogether.

The row stems from the September 14 incident, when Indian players, led by Suryakumar Yadav, did not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the game. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) viewed the snub as deeply disrespectful and accused match referee Andy Pycroft of mishandling the situation.

The PCB lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC), even demanding Pycroft’s removal from Asia Cup duties. However, the ICC firmly rejected the claims in a detailed six-point response, calling the PCB’s complaints “baseless.”

Despite the protest, Pycroft remained as match referee for Pakistan’s next game against the UAE, further fuelling tensions.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council, later explained why the team decided against walking out.

“As you all know, there has been a crisis since September 14. We had objections about the role of the match referee. Just a short while ago, the referee spoke to the coach, captain and manager, admitting the incident (no handshakes) should not have happened,” Naqvi told media.

He stressed that boycotting would have been a “very big decision” involving the prime minister and government officials, all of whom had expressed support if Pakistan chose that route.

“We believe politics and sports cannot go together. Cricket should remain a sport. That is why we monitored the issue closely before deciding not to withdraw,” he added.

The ICC stood by Pycroft, stating he acted correctly under the circumstances.

“The actions the match referee took, following clear directions from the ACC Venue Manager, were consistent with how such issues should be handled,” the ICC wrote in its response to the PCB.

The world body pointed out that the PCB had not submitted any supporting statements or evidence with its complaint, despite being given the chance.

The ICC further clarified that the referee’s priority was to protect the integrity of the toss and avoid unnecessary embarrassment.

“It is not the role of the Match Referee to regulate team or tournament-specific protocols agreed outside the field of play. That falls under the organisers and team managers,” the ICC said.

In its closing remarks, the ICC suggested the PCB may have directed its frustration at the wrong target.

“The PCB should therefore direct those complaints to the tournament organisers and those who made the actual decision (which was not the Match Referee). The ICC does not have a role in that.”