ICC announce replacement for Andy Pycroft in upcoming Pakistan matches at Asia Cup 2025
Andy Pycroft removed from Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 matches after PCB protest; Richie Richardson named replacement referee by ICC.
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In a surprising turn of events at the Asia Cup 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will ask match referee Andy Pycroft to step aside from Pakistan's upcoming matches, following the succession of events during the high-pressure India vs Pakistan encounter in Dubai last Sunday.
Pycroft at the centre of preceding events
The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) submitted an official complaint against Pycroft, accusing him of partisanship, after it was alleged that he advised Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to immediately shake hands with Suryakumar Yadav. This enraged the PCB, who stated that the request constituted favoured treatment and a breach of the 'code of conduct'.
The ICC rejected the PCB complaint and stated that Pycroft was simply acting on orders issued for that match by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials. According to those officials, the instruction not to shake hands with each captain was a broader decision of the ACC, and not an isolated order from Pycroft.
No Pycroft for Pakistan matches
Although the ICC dismissed the PCB's complaint, pressure from Pakistan has caused a compromise to be implemented. According to ARY News, Pycroft has been pulled from officiating Pakistan's final group stage match, with former West Indies captain Richie Richardson stepping in as the alternate referee. As such, Pycroft can continue to officiate other fixtures in the event, but will no longer supervise any matches involving Pakistan.
PCB holds firm
Sources indicate that the PCB is adamant that Pycroft be fully removed from Pakistan's matches. The board believes Pycroft shows favoritism to India and has persuaded the ICC and ACC to react. "The PCB held firm and resisted backing down from their position of removing Andy Pycroft. They are insistent that he should not officiate Pakistan's matches," said the source.
ACC in the middle
The Asian Cricket Council has been trying to find a way to resolve this standoff. Conversations have taken place with the PCB, and the middle ground suggested was assigning Richie Richardson to Pakistan's matches and leaving Pycroft on the referee panel.
ICC denies PCB's entire request
While ICC confirmed that Pycroft will remain a member of the event's referee panel, it declined PCB's request to remove him entirely from the tournament. An official letter, registering the rejection of the PCB's request, was sent to the PCB earlier this week.
Sources state that the ICC also reiterated that Pycroft's actions were commissioned and conducted within the ACC's guidance and had no relevance to India and its interests.
The move to assign Pakistan's matches to Richie Richardson is an in-between way to make sure the Asia Cup continues smoothly and does not escalate. Now that Pakistan has not backed down and the ICC does not want to remove Pycroft, this whole situation adds another interesting wrinkle to a fiery tournament.
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