NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has accused International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Andy Pycroft of blatant bias, branding him a “favourite for the Indians” in the wake of the handshake controversy and mounting tensions at the Asia Cup in Dubai.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pakistan’s players had refused to leave their hotel ahead of their must-win fixture against the UAE on Wednesday, demanding Pycroft’s removal after the fallout from their heated clash with India. Although they eventually received clearance to play, the game was delayed by an hour. The PCB also cancelled the pre-match press conference.Speaking at a joint press conference alongside PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Ramiz Raja did not hold back, questioning Pycroft’s track record. “What’s interesting is… Andy Pycroft is favourite [for the Indians]. Whenever I host tosses, he’s always a permanent fixture over there,” Raja charged.Raja argued that Pycroft had been disproportionately appointed for India’s matches, raising doubts about the ICC’s neutrality. “This is something blatant for me because, though I thought he had refereed several matches, stats seemingly show something one-sided. It should not be like this. This is a neutral platform, which is why there are referees and match officials. However, I felt that he was fixed there. But I hope that better sense prevails,” he added.
The PCB alleged Pycroft had directly prohibited India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salman Agha from shaking hands after their high-voltage encounter, later classifying the incident as a “miscommunication.” In a strongly-worded statement on X, the board said: “ICC’s controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team… The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate the violation of the Code of Conduct.”However, ICC sources have since refuted Pakistan’s claims, clarifying that no formal investigation has been initiated and that Pycroft was not guilty of any breach. The apology, they stressed, was due to a venue manager’s error.Despite the uproar, Pycroft returned to duty at the Dubai International Stadium, officiating Pakistan’s clash against the UAE, leaving the controversy far from settled.
