Drama in Dubai: ICC rejects PCB demand, Pak players come to ground after Pycroft 'apology'

Dubai, Sep 17 (PTI) Pakistan withdrew its pullout threat and showed up for a crucial Asia Cup game against the UAE here on Wednesday but not before causing a delay and getting an "apology" from match referee Andy Pycroft, who was retained by the ICC despite the country's repeated demand for his removal.

Pycroft tendered an "apology for miscommunication" during Pakistan's game against India last Sunday in which Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with rival skipper Salman Ali Agha as a gesture of solidarity with the victims of Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Pakistan lodged two separate complaints with the ICC for the removal of Pycroft but the world body summarily rejected both. The logjam ended after Pycroft "apologised" to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team for "prohibiting" the handshake at toss on Sunday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board also asserted that the ICC would be investigating its complaint against Pycroft.

"The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate the violation of the Code of Conduct during the match on September 14," it stated Earlier on Wednesday, there was intense drama in the run-up to the game as the Pakistan team refused to leave its hotel after learning that Pycroft will be persisted with.

Teams are required to report at the stadium two hours before the start of the game which Pakistan failed to do in protest.

That Pycroft would remain match referee was communicated to PCB chairman and Asian Cricket Council head Mohsin Naqvi by ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta in a conference call.

The ICC maintained that the Zimbabwean will remain in charge as he has followed the rules and regulations to the 'T'.

Pakistan had held Pycroft responsible for the embarrassment it faced after Salman and Suryakumar did not exchange a handshake and their team sheets during the toss on Sunday.

The PCB alleged that Pycroft had prohibited Salman from shaking hands with Suryakumar and told the two captains to not exchange team sheets.

The Indian players avoided the traditional niceties with the rivals even after the match.

Pycroft was present at the Dubai International Stadium and left the venue surrounded by bodyguards after he was called to the ICC Headquarters just a kilometer away from the ground.

The ICC gave a six-point rebuttal to the PCB in which it maintained that the Board's complaints were baseless.

"The ICC's investigation was conducted on the basis of the information provided in the report lodged by the PCB. We took the report at Face value and note that no supporting documentation or evidence was provided with it.

"The PCB had every opportunity to submit statement from its team members alongside the initial report but chose not to do so." The world body said that there was "no case to answer" on part of the match referee.

"The actions that match referee took was, following clear directions to him from ACC (Asian Cricket Council) Venue Manager, were consistent with how a match referee will deal with such an issue, communicated as it was with no time for him to do anything else (minutes before the toss)." The ICC was clear that Pycroft was committed to "preserving the sanctity of the toss and avoiding any potential embarrassment that might have arisen. " "The Match Referee was not at fault in any of this." "It is not the role of the Match Referee to regulate a team or tournament specific protocols which have been agreed outside of the area of play, that is a matter for the tournament organizers and relevant team managers," the ICC added.

The conclusion was a terse one in which the ICC brass wondered if "...the PCB's real concern or complain relates to the actual decision that handshakes didn't take place." "The PCB should therefore direct those complaint to the tournament organiser and those who took the actual decision (which was not the Match Referee). The ICC doesn't have a role in that." In a nutshell, ICC put the ball back in Naqvi and Tournament Director Andy Russell's court.

The PCB could have lost up to USD 16 million for pulling out from the tournament and Naqvi took advice from two former PCB chairmen -- Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi -- before deciding that the team would continue.

"We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Further details to follow." The team left the venue soon after this social media post by Naqvi.

Once the Pakistan team arrived at the stadium, Pycroft was seen sitting alongside Salman, head coach Mike Hesson and manager Naveed Akram Cheema.

"ICC's controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologized to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team. Pycroft had prohibited the captains of both teams from shaking hands during the India-Pakistan match," the PCB said in a statement on 'X'.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board had strongly reacted to Andy Pycroft's action. Andy Pycroft termed the incident on September 14 as a result of miscommunication and apologized," it added.

After the fresh statement from the PCB, a source in the ICC said the apology was only for the "miscommunication." "...and the ICC will only conduct its investigation when the PCB furnishes further evidence as to who was at fault for this entire mess," the source said. PTI KHS PM KHS PM PM