Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman, Naqvi, urges Pakistan cricket team to make their way to the stadium for the upcoming Asia Cup.
The Pakistan cricket team has taken a firm stance against match referee Andy Pycroft, refusing to leave for the Dubai International Cricket Stadium unless they receive an email confirming his replacement. This decision follows a formal complaint filed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), calling for Pycroft's removal from the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
The PCB's request for a change in referee has been prompted by a row that erupted during Pakistan's previous match, leading to a delay of an hour. The board has refused to play matches supervised by Pycroft and is standing on its decision to boycott the matches if its demands are not met.
The ICC, however, has yet to respond to the PCB's demand. The PCB has stated that Pakistan will only agree to play after all its reservations are addressed and a formal announcement of acceptance of the demand is made.
Meanwhile, the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has asked the Pakistan team to travel to Dubai for the Asia Cup 2025 match against the United Arab Emirates. The national cricketers were seen boarding the team bus in high spirits and are likely to reach the venue in around 40 minutes.
The match, which was initially scheduled to start at 8pm, will now commence at 8:30pm as per Pakistan Standard Time (PST), following the delay. The toss for the delayed fixture will now take place at 8pm.
In a surprising turn of events, the match referee for the upcoming Pakistan vs UAE match is likely to be former West Indies captain Richie Richardson. The PCB has requested Haroon Rasheed to liaise with Richardson in this regard.
The ongoing tension between the two teams was further escalated when the Indian team decided not to shake hands with the Pakistani team after their previous match. This decision has prompted a strong reaction from the cricketing fraternity and Mohsin Naqvi, who heads both the PCB and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
The Indian captain, Suryakumar, defended his team's decision, stating it was taken in alignment with their government and cricket board. However, Pakistan's skipper Salman Ali Agha refused to attend the post-match presentation ceremony in protest.
The Asia Cup 2025 has been a rollercoaster ride so far, with the PCB's tough stance against Pycroft and the ongoing tension between the two teams adding an unexpected twist to the tournament. The ICC has no choice but to remove the umpire from Pakistani matches due to the PCB's stance, but the outcome of this situation remains to be seen. The PCB has also penned another letter to the ICC over the latter's refusal to accept its demand of Pycroft's removal from the tournament. The PCB has rejected the ICC's decision to not take action against the match referee, further escalating the tension.
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