PCB wanted Andy Pycroft out of Asia Cup 2025 but ICC said no, big blow to their plans. This after Pakistan threatened to skip the UAE game in protest.
It all started when Usman Walha, the PCB’s Director of Cricket Operations, messed up. He didn’t even tell his own captain about the no handshake rule for the match.
PTI says PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the ACC president, was furious. He told Walha to pack his bags on Monday because of the embarrassment caused to the team and captain in the India game. Walha was supposed to inform Salman about the No Handshake policy but he didn’t and the Pakistan captain was caught off guard.
Now with ICC’s stance clear, Pakistan doesn’t have many options left.
Option 1: Skip the UAE Game
If Pakistan boycotts the Asia Cup game because Andy Pycroft wasn’t removed, they’ll be out of the tournament immediately. India is already in the Super 4s so Pakistan has to beat the UAE in their last group game. If they don’t play, UAE gets 2 points and Pakistan won’t make it to the next round.
Option 2: Focus on Cricket
After the thrashing by India on Sunday, it’s clear that Pakistan’s cricket isn’t where it should be. For a while now Pakistan has been struggling to be a tough competitor in any format of the game. At times like these the PCB should be all about helping the team get better. Instead the board is making news for things that have nothing to do with cricket.
Ideally the PCB should just focus on the next game against UAE and try to secure their spot in the Super 4s.
