Why Pakistan vs UAE Asia Cup match was delayed by an hour in Dubai | Cricket News
The Asia Cup clash between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates in Dubai on Wednesday was delayed by an hour after a dramatic standoff involving the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) involving match referee Andy Pycroft. The match, originally scheduled for 8:00 pm IST, was pushed to 9:00 pm following uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation. Tensions escalated when the PCB objected to Pycroft officiating after the “no-handshake” incident in their previous match against India. The ICC, however, rejected Pakistan’s demand for his removal, citing an earlier inquiry that cleared him of any wrongdoing. In a statement, the ICC stressed that “appointment of match officials is a centralised ICC decision and it can’t be influenced by considerations of any member board. This would set a dangerous precedence for the future.” It further noted that Pycroft “did not breach any match protocols.” It also stated that he helped prevent potential embarrassment for both captains by informing them that the organisers had decided to skip the handshake at the toss. By early evening on Wednesday, Pycroft was at the stadium before later leaving for the ICC headquarters. At the same time, the UAE team arrived at the ground on time, but the Pakistan players were ‘stopped’ from boarding the team bus at their hotel despite their kit bags already being loaded on the team bus. Amid speculation of a forfeit, Geo News reported that senior figures Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja had joined PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi for consultations, with a press conference room prepared in Lahore. The Asian Cricket Council added to the confusion by deleting its scheduled social media post about the match. As the situation developed, PCB spokesperson Amir Mir announced the delay. “The consultation process is ongoing and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi is discussing with former chairmen Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi and on the other hand, online negotiations are also going on with Dubai. Immediately, the match between UAE and Pakistan has been delayed by one hour,” he said. Later, Pakistan players began moving out of their hotel and Naqvi confirmed the same on social media. “We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Further details to follow,” he wrote in a post on X. The game eventually remained on schedule for a delayed 9:00 pm IST start.
