Former international umpire Anil Chaudhary has called out Pakistan’s recent cricket dramas as a desperate bid to dodge the spotlight after their big loss to India in the Asia Cup. Speaking to , Chaudhary pointed to the PCB’s threats to boycott the tournament, their clash with ICC match referee Andy Pycroft, and the heated handshake row with Team India as clear distractions.
Chaudhary made it simple: there’s no strict ICC rule forcing teams to shake hands after matches. “I think after losing the match, it was just a way to turn things around,” he said. “Nothing in the ICC playing conditions or any rulebook says you have to do it. Handshakes only became a thing 15-20 years ago, starting with captains. This whole controversy was unnecessary and easy to avoid.”
The drama kicked off in Dubai on Sunday during the ongoing Asia Cup. India crushed Pakistan by seven wickets in their high-stakes rivalry match and chose not to shake hands with the Pakistani players afterward. Tensions were already high due to strained India-Pakistan relations, fueled by a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, where Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 tourists.
Pakistan didn’t take it lightly. They skipped the post-match presentation and fired off a complaint against Andy Pycroft, accusing him of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct and the spirit of cricket under MCC laws. The ICC shot down the request flat out, leaving the PCB fuming. In retaliation, Pakistan threatened to pull out of their crucial do-or-die game against the UAE.
Chaudhary dismissed the complaints as pointless. “The people who filed them knew it was a waste of time,” he added. “You can’t pull stunts like that on the field. Their administrators must have realized nothing would come of it.”
The saga continued on Wednesday in Dubai. Pakistan’s team stayed put in their Marina hotel, refusing to head to the stadium for the must-win clash against the UAE. This was a direct protest against Pycroft, demanding his removal—which the ICC ignored. They finally got clearance from management and arrived, but the match started an hour late. Pakistan had already ditched their pre-match press conference on Tuesday, though they did squeeze in a practice session.
Chaudhary had high praise for Pycroft, a veteran ICC elite panel referee and former Zimbabwe star with an impeccable record. “All this is just unnecessary drama,” he said. “He’s a seasoned referee from the elite panel, a well-known player from Zimbabwe with a stellar track record.” As the Asia Cup rolls on, these off-field fireworks show no signs of cooling down.
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