The Asia Cup 2025 group stage encounter between Pakistan and UAE witnessed a delay by an hour from its scheduled start due to the 'handshake' controversy and has infuriated legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. After India captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha during the group stage match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) urged that match referee Andy Pycroft be removed. According to reports, Pakistan even threatened to pullout from the crucial match against UAE, a virtual eliminator between the two sides, if Pycroft was not removed.
However, PCB chose to delay their team's departure from the hotel after ICC rejected their demands. And following a meeting with Pycroft and ICC officials, the game proceeded, albeit an hour later than planned. Gavaskar accused Pakistan of holding the game hostage and harshly criticised them.
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"The other thing that left a sour taste in the mouth is holding up the game and starting it one hour late. If the PCB had any issues to discuss with and about the match referee Andy Pycroft, then it had two full days after their loss to India and before the game against the UAE in which to do so," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
"By keeping everybody in suspense and not even turning up at the ground until almost the toss time, they held the game to ransom. There is simply no excuse for delaying the start of the game for an hour while haggling to get an apology from the match referee for something that was also not in any of the rule books," he added.
Gavaskar further criticised PCB for saying Pycroft expressed regret for the whole thing. Pycroft did meet with officials from Pakistan and Agha, but the ICC made it apparent that no apology was offered.
"Then, despite the ICC, who appoints the umpires and match referees, saying there was no apology given, the PCB insisted that they had secured one and so agreed to play. They pounced on the words 'regrettable miscommunication' to say that this was the apology," Gavaskar wrote.
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