Andy Pycroft gets the loudest cheer in Ahmedabad Test after his standoff with Pakistan in Asia Cup

India and West Indies are currently taking part in the first Test of their two-match series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Shubman Gill walked out to the toss as the Indian captain for the first time in a home Test series, but luck was not on his side as West Indies won and chose to bat first.

However, the real surprise came when match referee Andy Pycroft appeared for the ceremony. He received the loudest cheer from the crowd. The former Zimbabwe cricketer, who is usually behind the scenes, stole the spotlight with the fans applauding him as he was introduced by Ravi Shastri.

Why did Andy Pycroft receive a loud cheer from Indian fans?

The cheer was connected to the 2025 Asia Cup controversy a few weeks ago. During that tournament, India refused to shake hands with Pakistan players due to the recent skirmish between the two nations. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was unhappy and questioned Pycroft, saying he had failed to inform them about India’s decision to ignore Pakistan.

This led to a standoff, with the PCB asking the International Cricket Council (ICC) to remove him as match referee from their games. The situation escalated so much that the Pakistan team even threatened to boycott the UAE game. A meeting was eventually held at Dubai International Stadium, where Pycroft spoke to Pakistan officials and captain Salman Agha.

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Despite the controversy, he continued as referee in the match, and Pakistan went on to play against the UAE. Pakistan had accused Pycroft of being biased. He was being seen as favouring India during the entire no-handshake saga. This is the reason why Pycroft received the warm welcome from Indian fans in Ahmedabad.