India’s no-handshake move in their Asia Cup fixture has left the Pakistan team management fuming. On Sunday, Suryakumar Yadav sealed the group-stage game for India with a six and then headed straightaway to the dressing room with partner Shivam Dube, giving the customary handshake with the opponents a miss. The Indian skipper even stated that the 7-wicket win was dedicated to the country’s armed forces while the team stood in solidarity with the families of the Pulawama terror attacks.
The handshake gate seems to have hurt the Pakistan cricket team’s ego, as they have escalated the matter. They have not only lodged a protest against the Indian team with the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Andy Pycroft, but also demanded the official’s removal.
“The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup,” Mohsin Naqvi, who is the chairman of the PCB, said in a social media post on Monday.
The PCB has even threatened to boycott its upcoming match against the UAE on September 17 if its demand for the Zimbabwean official’s removal is not fulfilled. Pycroft is currently appointed as the match referee for that game.
While the website acknowledged that the “information could not be independently verified,” CricketPakistan.com reported that the PCB had warned, “Pycroft must be removed from the Asia Cup, or we will not play any further matches.”
Earlier on Sunday night, Naqvi also commented on the Indian team without taking names.
