Andy Pycroft finds himself back in the spotlight as the match referee for the high-stakes Super Four clash between India and Pakistan at the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday. This comes after a heated controversy during their group stage meeting on September 14, where Pycroft urged captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav to skip the post-match handshake—sparking outrage from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The PCB quickly called for Pycroft’s removal following Pakistan’s crushing seven-wicket loss to India. They accused him of meddling in the toss rituals. But the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the plea, allowing the former Zimbabwe cricketer to keep his role.
The drama didn’t stop there. It carried over to Pakistan’s crucial match against the UAE, turning into a full-blown off-field saga. Pakistan skipped their pre-match press conference, showed up late to Dubai International Stadium, and delayed the game by an hour. Players stayed back at the hotel while PCB officials hashed things out with ICC bigwigs. Just before the toss, Pakistan’s team management met with Pycroft, igniting yet another row. The PCB posted a muted video of the chat on social media before deleting it, adding fuel to the India-Pakistan rivalry flames.
Now, with tensions simmering, both teams gear up for round two at the same venue. India captain Suryakumar Yadav brushed off the noise during a Saturday chat with reporters, staying laser-focused on cricket. “Our preparations have been solid for the Asia Cup,” he said. “We’ve played three strong games, so we’re sticking to the good habits from our last couple of outings. We’ll take it one match at a time.”
He downplayed any advantage from their earlier win: “Playing them once doesn’t give us an edge—it was a great game, and this one will be too. We start fresh, and the team that plays better wins.”
India, fresh off a 21-run victory over Oman in the group stage, heads into an optional practice session after a late-night trip from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. Pakistan, meanwhile, plans a full training workout at the ICC Academy to sharpen up for the India vs Pakistan showdown.
India’s Asia Cup squad features Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh.
Pakistan’s lineup includes Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, and Sufyan Moqim.
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