ICC is not happy with Pakistan's behaviour ahead of their match against UAE in the Asia Cup
Pakistan demanded removal of match referee Andy Pycroft and delayed the start of the game by an hour
PCB also shared a clip of a meeting between Pycroft and the captains of the two sides with a misleading context
Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) antiques ahead of their win against United Arab Emirates in the Asia Cup have not gone down well with the International Cricket Council (ICC). As per reports, PCB has been accused of several breaches and ICC is considering disciplinary action on the board.
The clash between UAE and Pakistan was delayed for an hour as the Men In Green wanted the match referee Andy Pycroft to be removed before taking the field. However, the request to remove Pycroft was not considered and now Pakistan are being alleged to have violated several protocols.
What went wrong?
In response to India's refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players after the match between the two sides, Pakistan boycotted the post-match press conference. The Men In Green then wanted the match referee Pycroft for the India vs Pakistan clash to be removed from the UAE match alleging that he failed to perform his duties.
After the request was denied, Pakistan team refused to leave the hotel in protest and that led to a delay of one hour before the match finally began.
Further trouble
The matter escalated further after Pakistan team manager recorded a meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan and UAE skippers. The clip was then shared on social media without audio and consent. This led to the breach of Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA), as per reports.
"The ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has written to the PCB stating that the board has been guilty of repeated Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) violations on match day. PCB is in receipt of the e-mail," a tournament source told PTI.
Another charge on PCB is spreading misinformation on social media. PCB has been accused of sharing the clip to show that Pycroft apologised for the no-handshake incident after the India vs Pakistan match. However, ICC has clarified that Pycroft only had expressed regret over a miscommunication.
What next?
ICC has conveyed its displeasure regarding PCB's behaviour but if things go forward then penalties could come into play. PCB could be slapped with financial penalties or formal charges under the Asia Cup code of conduct.
ICC is still reviewing the matter and a final decision can be expected only after the review is completed.
