Asia Cup 2025: E-mail from ICC CEO accusing PCB for breaking multiple rules— Report

The no handshake controversy can get more complicated. According to recent claims, the CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Sanjog Gupta, has sent an email to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), seeking some clarifications about their claims on the incident. PCB is alleged to have breached several rules of the Players Match Official Area (PMOA).

According to claims, if the Pakistan Cricket Board is proved guilty, then the global cricket governing body can take action. On Thursday evening, shocking claims started to emerge related to PCB's activity ahead of their clash against the home team, the United Arab Emirates. It is claimed that through a written format, the ICC CEO asked PCB how and why their meeting with Andy Pycroft was recorded and used as a video even though it was the restricted PMOA. As of now, there are no official statements either from ICC or from the Pakistan Cricket Board. 

PCB threatened to boycott the remainder of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 as they alleged match referee Andy Pycroft was taking team India's side. During the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match, team India, led by Surya Kumar Yadav, refused to shake hands with Pakistan players, first during the toss and then after the match. In protest, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha boycotted the post-match press conference, and then they reached the venue late for their match against UAE. Pakistan won the match and moved to the Super 4s round from Group A after Team India. But as of now, it seems that the controversy has the potential to go on for a long time.

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ICC CEO sent an email to PCB: Report 

According to a report published by ESPNcricinfo, "Andy Pycroft, the ICC match referee at the center of the controversy that nearly derailed the 2025 Asia Cup, was only told minutes before the toss of the India-Pakistan match on September 14 that the two captains were not to shake hands. At that moment, he believed himself to be a conveyor of the message rather than issuing instructions. Pycroft was subsequently the subject of a complaint made by the PCB, in which it accused him of breaching ICC codes as well as the spirit of cricket and demanded his removal from the tournament. 

Later, multiple media reports claimed that there is no such rule that makes the ceremonial handshake mandatory for teams.