Andy Pycroft And Asia Cup 2025 Handshake Row: What A Match Referee Really Does

The Andy Pycroft controversy during the Asia Cup 2025 has brought the vital, often unseen role of the match referee into sharp focus, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) defending the Zimbabwean's actions as essential to upholding the sport’s integrity.

Pycroft, serving as match referee, became the centre of controversy after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) accused him of instructing captains to skip handshakes before the high-profile India vs Pakistan, Group A match in Dubai, UAE.

The PCB alleged that the 69-year-old's directive favoured India, raising questions about impartiality.

However, reports claimed that he was only following instructions from tournament organisers, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), to avoid a politically sensitive gesture, and that his actions actually helped prevent potential embarrassment for all parties involved.

Despite Pakistan's formal protest and threats to boycott their final group game against the UAE, the ICC stood firm, refusing to replace Pycroft.

Understanding The Match Referee's Responsibilities In Cricket

The match referee in international cricket serves as the off-field adjudicator, a role central to maintaining the integrity of the game.

Appointed by the ICC, the match referee ensures that every match is played within the established laws, the spirit of cricket, and the ICC Code of Conduct. This includes oversight of player and team official conduct, monitoring for dissent, aggressive behaviour, and breaches of sportsmanship.

The referee is also responsible for enforcing protocols such as pre-match and post-match formalities, including toss procedures, team sheet exchanges, and ceremonial handshakes. Additionally, the match referee holds disciplinary authority, investigating and adjudicating breaches by issuing fines, warnings, or suspensions as necessary.

But most importantly, the referee acts with complete neutrality and integrity, operating independently of team interests, cricket boards, or host nations. And once appointed by the ICC, referees may not be removed mid-tournament due to team objections; and this, of course, ensures consistency and fairness.

In the latest development, contrary to initial PCB claims that Andy Pycroft apologised for prohibiting handshakes, multiple reports dismissed the statement, claiming that he specifically talked only about 'miscommunication' regarding instructions he relayed from venue management.

India-Pakistan No Handshake Controversy Background

The political tension driving India's refusal to shake hands originated from the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir where four terrorists from The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, executed 26 innocent tourists after confirming their religion in the Baisaran Valley.

Indian Armed Forces responded with Operation Sindoor while grieving families of victims like Kiranben Bhavnagar, who lost her husband and 17-year-old son, publicly opposed the cricket match.

This context explains why Indian players viewed handshakes as inappropriate, given the loss of lives, with captain Suryakumar Yadav openly dedicating the victory to the terror victims and the Armed Forces involved in Operation Sindoor.

Here. it's worth noting that Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct defines 'conduct contrary to the spirit of the game' as a Level 1 offence, with potential penalties including fines up to 50 per cent of match fees and demerit points.

No formal action was taken against India for skipping handshakes as the ICC determined it was a political decision rather than unsporting behaviour. Of course, the distinction between mandatory rules and goodwill gestures proved crucial.