Asia Cup: Pakistan drag their feet over India's handshake snub

Asia Cup was enveloped in high drama on Wednesday as the Pakistan team, smarting over being refused handshakes before and after the India match last Sunday, first threatened to boycott their must-win game against UAE, then started play an hour late.The team initially refused to travel to Dubai International Cricket Stadium after its call to replace match referee Andy Pycroft with Richie Richardson was turned down by the ICC. PCB sent a second letter to ICC seeking Pycroft’s removal, for India's actions during and after the match. ICC, however, continued to back him and issued a rebuttal clearing him of wrongdoing.Pakistan accepts ‘no handshakes’ stance for Super-4 matchThis left PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi with little choice but to relent. He convened an emergency meeting at the PCB headquarters in Lahore with former chairmen Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi, along with ex-cricketer Aqib Javed, and instructed the team to remain at the hotel. Even as the UAE players arrived at the Dubai International Stadium for the crucial match, Pakistan’s squad stayed put. Later, Naqvi posted on X: “We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai cricket stadium. Further details to follow.”Negotiations were held between ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi and Salman Naseer to ensure the show went on. It has been understood that Pycroft had asked Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha, captains of India and Pakistan, respectively, of no handshake based on instructions he got from someone within the ACC and it was further communicated from the ICC to PCB when they cleared him of any wrongdoing.Further, a meeting was held between Pycroft, Salman Agha, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson and the team manager in the match referee's room in Dubai. That was an initiative taken by Pycroft himself to clarify on the miscommunication, instead of an "apology".Once the air was cleared, Pakistan agreed to take the field and also accepted India’s “no-handshake stance” for the upcoming Super 4 clash. The match eventually began an hour late, with Pycroft continuing as match referee. Later in the evening, the PCB released a video, without audio, and statement in Urdu on X, which stated, “The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Andy Pycroft had barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during their match. The Pakistan Cricket Board had strongly reacted to Andy Pycroft’s actions. Pycroft termed the Sept 14 incident a result of miscommunication and apologised. The ICC has expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the Sept 14 match.”Naqvi, who also serves as ACC president and Pakistan’s Interior Minister, had earlier criticised the incident on social media, calling it “against the spirit of the game”.A withdrawal would have meant financial consequences for all concerned. Sony Pictures Network India, the tournament’s official broadcaster, holds an eight-year deal worth $170 million with the ACC for the 2024–2031 cycle, covering the Men's Asia Cup, Women’s Asia Cup and the Under-19 Men’s Asia Cup. A withdrawal would have also cost PCB almost $15 million — its due from ACC’s annual revenue.