In the face of uncertainty for weeks, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finally decided against pulling out of the Asia Cup and will play their team in the last group-stage match against UAE on Wednesday.
PCB sources confirmed that a compromise was made, and match referee Andy Pycroft stepped down from officiating Pakistan's matches with Richie Richardson officiating their vital game.
The row broke out when Pakistan was defeated by India on Sunday. During the game, Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts as a sign of respect for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. In response, PCB asked for the expulsion of Pycroft from the tournament, citing breaches of ICC rules and regulations—a request that the ICC turned down.
Interestingly, the ICC rejection letter was signed by its general manager Waseem Khan, who once worked as PCB's CEO during volatile periods.
Following the ICC’s initial refusal, PCB managed to negotiate Richardson’s appointment for the UAE match, a compromise that helped save face for PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the interior minister in the Shahbaz Sharif government. Some reports in Pakistan suggested that Naqvi’s meeting with Prime Minister Sharif earlier in the day was largely related to interior ministry matters and not the Asia Cup controversy.
If Pakistan had withdrawn, the board would have been down by approximately USD 16 million—a huge amount for a cricket board much poorer than the BCCI.
A media conference arranged in advance of the UAE match was suddenly canceled about 90 minutes prior to Pakistan's arrival for practice. "They want to keep cards close to chest and not respond to any queries regarding boycott," a PCB insider had informed PTI earlier.
In defiance of rumors that the Pakistani side would opt for a training bypass, their players arrived as scheduled, while Indians pushed through a strenuous third-hour training session. The difference in preparation underlined the growing chasm in standards between the two sides.
India's practice was thorough, including exercises such as Bronco runs for Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill under the watchful eye of Adrian Le Roux. In comparison, Pakistan's training included a primitive passing-the-football drill that brought memories of practices 15 years ago.
Though the Pakistani players seemed easygoing in the face of the on-field loss and off-field drama, the exchange with their strength and conditioning coach suggested a hint of tension beneath the surface, keenly watched by Indian media. Not a single Pakistani player walked into the Indian nets, which were under head coach Mike Hesson.
Meanwhile, skipper Suryakumar Yadav marked his 35th birthday with a belated celebration by cutting a cake after a request from the Indian media. His birthday fell on Sunday, September 14, the same day India dominated Pakistan.
