Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lashes out at the PCB over their controversial actions during the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.

Sunil Gavaskar Slams PCB’s Conduct in Asia Cup 2025

Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian batter and former captain, did not hold back as he criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) behaviour in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. The tournament has already witnessed controversy, with Pakistan skipping mandatory pre-match press conferences and delaying their group-stage clash against the UAE by an hour due to demands for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft.

The chain of events began after Suryakumar Yadav’s India refused to shake hands with Pakistan following their group-stage encounter. In response, the PCB sent multiple emails to the ICC, seeking Pycroft’s removal on the grounds that he failed to uphold the spirit of cricket.

Writing in his column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar questioned the logic of PCB’s complaints, pointing out that handshakes are not a legal requirement and have been skipped in various sports before. He emphasized that while the ICC rightly ignored the protest, the more serious issue was Pakistan’s refusal to attend mandatory media interactions before matches, which could have been handled by any member of their large support staff.

Gavaskar further condemned PCB for delaying the UAE game, stating that they effectively held the tournament to ransom. He argued that if the board had grievances with Pycroft, they had ample time to raise them before the match day. Instead, they created unnecessary drama, demanded an apology that was never given, and later misrepresented a phrase like “regrettable miscommunication” as an apology.

“There is simply no excuse for delaying the start of the game for an hour,” Gavaskar wrote, stressing that the PCB’s conduct left a sour taste and undermined the smooth running of the competition.

PCB claims Pycroft apologised

Just minutes before the group stage match between Pakistan and the UAE, the PCB issued a statement claiming that referee Andy Pycroft had apologised for his “regrettable actions.” Sunil Gavaskar dismissed this assertion, arguing that Pycroft’s conduct was far from regrettable and only served to spare Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha from embarrassment.

“Presumably, just to get the game started, the mandarins may have used the word ‘regrettable’, when ‘avoidable’ would have been the apt word,” Gavaskar wrote in his column. He explained that if Pycroft had indeed informed Pakistan about India’s refusal to shake hands, it was merely to prevent an awkward situation.

Gavaskar added that the PCB’s narrative reflected “warped thinking” and highlighted how politics had intruded into cricket. He stressed that no sport should allow a team to delay a game for such reasons, warning that this episode set an “unsavoury precedent” and urging that no side be allowed to engage in such bullying again.