ICC pulled up Pakistan Cricket Board for misconduct after Andy Pycroft’s meeting was filmed; PCB had earlier claimed the referee apologised ahead of the UAE clash.

ICC Pulls Up PCB Over Asia Cup Rule Violations

The International Cricket Council has reprimanded the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for “violation of multiple tournament rules” ahead of their final Group A Asia Cup 2025 clash against the UAE on Wednesday at the Dubai International Stadium. The delay stemmed from Pakistan’s protest against the world body’s refusal to suspend match referee Andy Pycroft following the handshake controversy in last Sunday’s India-Pakistan match.

PCB blamed Pycroft for the fiasco and demanded his removal from the referee panel, even threatening a pullout. After the International Cricket Council rejected the plea, the PCB sent another letter on the eve of their UAE game. On match day, Pakistan players were told not to leave their hotel while PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, along with ex-chairmen Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja, held a long meeting—causing an hour-long delay. Eventually, the players were cleared to continue, with PCB later posting a muted video of Pycroft seemingly apologising to the team.

According to PTI, the ICC then emailed the PCB citing “misconduct” and “multiple violations” of the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol. Tournament sources confirmed ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta directly warned the PCB over repeated breaches.

PCB’s Media Manager Sparks ICC Dispute

The report revealed that despite prior warnings, PCB allowed media manager Naeem Gillani to film a sensitive meeting, even though ICC regulations bar media managers from attending. To resolve tensions after Pakistan players were barred from playing against the UAE, ICC accepted PCB’s demand that referee Andy Pycroft meet the captain and manager before the toss.

However, PCB insisted on including Naeem in the meeting. He was denied entry by the ICC Anti-Corruption Manager after attempting to bring a mobile phone into the PMOA. PCB then threatened to pull out of the match unless Naeem was allowed to film, ultimately forcing ICC to concede, despite it being a clear violation of PMOA rules.

The ICC later clarified that it had only expressed regret over a miscommunication, contradicting PCB’s narrative, after a mute video of the meeting was circulated on social media, fueling speculation.