 "The ICC is mulling stern action against the PCB for recording match referee Andy Pycroft's meeting with members of the Pakistan team management ahead of their Asia Cup match against UAE. Image credit: Reuters/Screengrab")
to be Pakistan Cricket Board finds itself in a spot of both over its response to the handshake row in the ongoing Asia Cup, with the International Cricket Council mulling action against the Mohsin Naqvi-led board for shooting a video inside the Dubai International Cricket Stadium ahead of their final Group A clash against hosts United Arab Emirates.
According to ICC sources, the Dubai-based global governing body for the sport has written a letter and has also sent emails to the PCB on the matter.
ICC slams PCB over meeting video
As per the sources, the ICC had arranged a meeting between match referee Andy Pycroft, who had officiated the India-Pakistan match on Sunday, as well as Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, coach Mike Hesson as well as team manager Naveed Akram Cheema.
Problem, however, arose after PCB officials began to record the meeting despite being told not to do so. The officials initially refused to divulge their plans for the footage, which would later be released by the Pakistani board to news outlets , albeit with muted audio.
The ICC has made it clear that the PCB is completely in violation with their decision to release the footage, which would later go viral on social media. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has reportedly sought a clarification from the PCB and is considering taking stern action against them for their blatant violations.
In the video that they had shared with media organisations, the PCB claimed that Pycroft had apologised to the Pakistan team for the handshakegate, though their claim could not be verified due to the absence of audio in the clip.
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The ICC has also objected to the PCB’s accusation of them as well as match referee Pycroft being biased towards India, and has reiterated that match referees are appointed on a central basis and cannot be removed based on unproven allegations made by a member board.
The PCB has been at loggerheads with former Zimbabwe batter Pycroft as well as the BCCI and the ICC ever since the Indian team refused to shake Pakistan’s hand after thrashing their arch-rivals by seven wickets in their Group A match last Sunday, with captain Suryakumar Yadav having also ignored his Pakistani counterpart Salman during toss.
The PCB had initially lodged a complaint against Pycroft and demanded he be removed from the panel of match referees for the remainder of the continental tournament, and had even threatened to boycott their match against the UAE if their demand was not met.
The Pakistan team had initially refused to leave their hotel after the ICC had shot down their demand, but ultimately relented – resulting in the match starting an hour late.