LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that the nation’s honour remained intact in the course of the handshake controversy that erupted after the ACC Males’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 match in opposition to arch-rivals India.
Naqvi, flanked by former chairmen Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi, instructed reporters at Gaddafi Stadium that Zimbabwe-based match referee Andy Pycroft had formally apologised to nationwide captain Salman Ali Agha, the coach and the crew supervisor, acknowledging the considerations raised by the aspect.
“A short time in the past, the match referee apologised to the captain and crew supervisor. We now have additionally lodged a proper request with the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) to research the breaches that occurred in the course of the September 14 fixture,” Naqvi stated.
“I consulted former chairmen Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja on the matter. Thank God, Pakistan’s honour has been preserved, and now we count on the crew to concentrate on their efficiency,” he added.
Former PCB chairman and commentator Ramiz Raja welcomed the event, calling it a “victory for Pakistan” and urging all stakeholders to focus on cricket quite than off-field distractions.
“It is a victory for Pakistan. No matter damage was felt, the main target should now return to the crew’s efficiency. Cricket ought to stay cricket, not a political platform. Everybody’s consideration needs to be on the sport; the crew should ship on the sector,” Raja stated.
He additionally questioned the officiating, remarking, “Andy Pycroft has proven bias in favour of the Indian crew.”
Najam Sethi reiterated the PCB’s long-standing place: “The PCB has at all times maintained that politics should not have any place in sport.”
The press convention adopted Pycroft’s apology for the handshake row that arose in the course of the ACC Males’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 blockbuster in opposition to India.
In accordance with the PCB, Pycroft described the incident because of miscommunication. The ICC has indicated its willingness to conduct a proper inquiry into the alleged breach of the code of conduct.
“The ICC match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the supervisor and captain of the Pakistan cricket crew,” the PCB acknowledged. “He had barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking fingers in the course of the match. The PCB reacted strongly to his actions. The ICC has now expressed its willingness to research.”
In the meantime, the nationwide squad and help workers arrived on the stadium after receiving PCB clearance.
Pycroft, whom the PCB held chargeable for mishandling the handshake incident, had earlier been reported to have left for ICC headquarters in Dubai.
