Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan to play match against UAE as match referee changed

DUBAI: The Asia Cup dispute has been resolved as match referee Andy Pycroft has been replaced for Pakistan’s game against the United Arab Emirates, sources told ARY News.

According to sources, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been compelled to accept Pakistan’s demand to change the match referee, and as a result, the referee has now been replaced.

Following the ICC’s decision, Pakistan will play its third group match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday.

The disputed match referee, Andy Pycroft, will not officiate in Pakistan’s fixture and has been replaced by former West Indies captain Richie Richardson.

It is worth noting that the controversy began during Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 group match against India, when the Indian team refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players and captain both at the toss and at the end of the game.

What surprised Pakistan even more was Pycroft allegedly instructing skipper Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart. This later fuelled accusations of collusion between Pycroft and the Indian team.

In response, Pakistan took a firm stand, demanding Pycroft’s removal and warning that they would not participate in further matches of the tournament unless the referee was changed.

Initially, the ICC formally rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) demand to remove Pycroft. However, after continued pressure, the ICC has now accepted the request and appointed Richie Richardson as the new match referee.

The PCB had also written a letter to both the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), urging Pycroft’s removal following the handshake controversy in the India clash.

The match itself was played under a tense atmosphere, with both captains skipping the traditional handshake at the toss.

According to the PCB, this directive came directly from Pycroft, which they argued was against the spirit of cricket and the MCC’s code of conduct.

“No handshakes were exchanged before or after the match, which is a direct violation of the game’s spirit and long-standing traditions,” the PCB stated in its letter, adding that Pycroft “failed to fulfil his responsibilities as match referee.”