Azhar Chaudhry , Daily Dawn, Dawn TV Report
Dubai: The controversy that arose before the match between Pakistan and the UAE in the Asia Cup has been resolved. According to sources, match referee Andy Pycroft has been removed at the request of Pakistan, and now Richie Richardson will take charge in his place.
According to reports, Pakistan has decided to take the field against the UAE on Wednesday after the referee change. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) says that the final decision regarding the event is still under consideration and the final course of action will be taken only after consultation.
Earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had rejected Pakistan’s request and indicated to retain Andy Pycroft, on which PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also considered the option of withdrawing from the event after consulting the government.
The matter came to light when referee Andy Pycroft instructed Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with the Indian captain during the toss of the Pakistan-India match. It was later revealed that there was pressure from the Indian board and government behind this instruction.
After the match, the Pakistani captain did not attend the closing ceremony in protest, while the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, giving a political colour to the game, attributed the victory to the Pahalgam incident, which further stirred controversy.
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