After a sweet and comfortable victory in the group-stage fixture of the Asia Cup 2025 for India, they will lock horns with Pakistan in the Super 4 stage at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 21. Since the last game a week ago, there has been only the off-field drama on India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav’s refusal to shake hands with his opposite number, Salman Ali Agha.

The Pakistan Cricket Board sent a couple of letters to the ICC to demand the removal of the match referee, Andy Pycroft, from their games or the rest of the event. They didn’t send their captain to the post-match presentation ceremony to protest India’s ‘unsporting’ behavior, which they stated in the media release.

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When the PCB didn’t get what they wanted, they delayed their last group encounter against the United Arab Emirates for an hour. But now the ICC has taken another massive decision for the IND vs PAK super 4 clash in appointing Andy Pycroft as the match referee for the encounter.

ICC names Andy Pycroft match referee for IND vs PAK Super 4 contest in Asia Cup 2025

Even in the last game against the UAE, Pycroft was the match referee. The ICC found no rule or reason to change the individual at the last minute. The referee had conveyed a message from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) venue manager, and had no breach of the rules according to the cricket council.

Pakistan, which threatened to pull out of the tournament unless its request was accepted, held a meeting in Lahore during the game against the UAE in the presence of Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman and ACC president, Ramiz Raja, and Najam Sethi, who are the former chairmen of the PCB.

Due to the continuous drama of the PCB over the handshake saga, the ICC has reportedly considered disciplinary action against the Pakistan board for their misconduct and violation of the rules and regulations. They made the points due to the recorded video of the meeting area with Pycroft, as the no handshake policy is expected to continue in the upcoming India vs Pakistan fixture.