Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan to forfeit match against UAE over referee dispute?

Pakistan are likely to forfeit their Asia Cup 2025 match against the United Arab Emirates after the International Cricket Council (ICC) refused to change the match referee, reported TOI in its live blog on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had objected to Andy Pycroft’s role as referee and sought his removal. The ICC, after reviewing the matter, said Pycroft had not violated any code of conduct and confirmed he would continue officiating in the game.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to address a press conference to announce the board’s position.


If Pakistan go ahead with the forfeit, it would be a rare instance of a team withdrawing from a scheduled Asia Cup fixture over an officiating dispute.

Pre-match press conference cancelled
Pakistan cancelled the pre-match press conference on Tuesday but held a practice session. Pakistan's decision was directly linked to its unhappiness with the ICC match referee Andy Pycroft, whom the PCB demanded be removed.

The controversy arose when India refused to shake hands with Pakistan players after securing a landslide 7-wicket win in the rivalry clash in Dubai on Sunday. Pakistan expressed its dissapointment by pulling out of the post-match presentation.

India-Pakistan Hanshake Row
The handshake row escalated after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint against Pycroft, accusing him of violating the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC laws relating to the spirit of cricket. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will not entertain Pakistan's request.

India's stance on refraining from engaging in shaking hands with their counterparts was linked to the strained relations between the two nations in the wake of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, during which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 tourists.

After the conclusion of the contest, the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav explained the team's stance to refuse a handshake with Pakistan and said, while speaking to reporters, "I feel a few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit. I have told it at the presentation as well. We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack."

"We stand with their families also and express our solidarity. As I said, we dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor. As they continue to inspire us all, we will try our best to, whenever given the opportunity, inspire them as well if possible," ANI quoted him as saying.

Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson expressed his disappointment about India refraining from engaging in the customary handshake when his side made attempts towards it. Hesson didn't directly pin captain Salman Agha's absence due to the incident that took place after the match, but alluded to it obliquely.

"We were ready to shake hands. We are obviously disappointed that our opposition didn't do that. We sort of went over there to shake hands, but they had already gone to the changing room. That was a disappointing way for the match to finish. We were willing to shake hands. We were keen to shake hands at the end of the match, but that didn't happen, and that was pretty much the end of it," Hesson told reporters during the post-match press conference.