ICC Likely To Turn Down PCB’s Appeal To Replace Match Referee Pycroft: Report

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet issued an official reply to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) request to replace match referee Andy Pycroft. However, indications strongly suggest that the governing body is unlikely to comply with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s demand to remove Pycroft from the panel of referees for the Asia Cup.

As of now, it is unclear whether the ICC has formally responded to Naqvi’s communication, but the general sentiment is that there are no valid grounds to support the PCB’s request. If a reply has not already been sent, it is expected to follow soon.

Within the ICC, the prevailing opinion is that Pycroft played only a minor role in the handshake episode, likely just passing along a message to the Pakistan captain to prevent a public scene if one captain refused to shake hands with the other during the toss.

ICC Unlikely To Replace Pycroft Amid Handshake Row Due To Lack of Evidence Of Wrongdoing

It is widely felt that replacing Pycroft without proof of wrongdoing would set a bad precedent, amid the row over Indian players skipping handshakes with Pakistan after their September 14 Asia Cup match. While the PCB is displeased with the Indian players’ conduct, the ICC is expected to clarify that handshakes before or after a match are not mandatory under the MCC laws.

This standoff has cast a shadow over the Asia Cup, as Pakistan has reportedly threatened to withdraw from their upcoming match against the UAE if their demand is rejected. Pycroft is scheduled to officiate that match on September 17. The PCB stated that the Indian players’ decision to avoid shaking hands with the Pakistani players amounts to a breach of the player code of conduct.

“The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. And The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup,” Naqvi, who is the chairman of the PCB, said in a social media post on Monday.

However, the demand made by Naqvi, who also serves as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), appears to have carried little weight. While match officials are appointed by the ICC in coordination with the local body — in this case, the ACC — it is considered unlikely that the global governing body will give much consideration to his request.