The Asia Cup is buzzing after the India-Pakistan match but not for cricketing reasons. The initial bit revolved around India's players avoiding the handshake gesture with Pakistan players. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav avoided it at the toss and did the same after hitting the winning runs as well. Later on, he clarified at the post-match presentation and press conference that the team's actions were in sync with the Indian government's stance towards Pakistan since the Pahalgam attack in April 2025.
Understandably, this hasn't gone down with the Pakistan team and skipper Salman Ali Agha was miffed after the match. He also skipped the post-match interview that was conducted by India's Sanjay Manjrekar but that is not all. The PCB has reacted strongly to this incident and president Mohsin Naqvi, also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, lodged a complaint with the ICC, requesting the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. The Zimbabean official reportedly had told Agha not to shake hands with Suryakumar at the toss and had also informed Agha's men about a no-handshake protocol, but only after the game. However, the ICC has rubbished these claims and rejected PCB's request to remove Pycroft.
Now, Pakistan's threat was to boycott the rest of the tournament if their demand wasn't met. With Pycroft set to stay, Pakistan's future in the tournament is unclear. Their final league game against United Arab Emirates on Wednesday (September 17) is a virtual knockout game with the winner progressing to the Super 4s. However, latest reports from RevSportz suggest that the Pakistan team has skipped the pre-match press conference as they are awaiting clarity from the PCB. Naqvi, it is understood, has been in constant talks with government officials and a decision on this is expected soon.
If the team doesn't hold a press conference by today (September 16), it is likely that they might forfeit the league encounter, thereby allowing UAE the chance to make the Super 4s.