Ex-PCB chairman Ramiz Raja strongly criticized ICC referee Andy Pycroft and doubted his neutrality after the controversy of Asia Cup hands shake.
Raja spoke to a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday and claimed that Pycroft had been a ‘luminaire’ in the matches of India. ‘What is interesting is […] Andy Pycroft is favorite [for the Indians]. When I struggle, he is always a permanent fixture, “he said.
Raja pointed to statistics and emphasized that Pycroft in more than 90 games with India was official.
“This is something flagrants for me, because although I thought he had referred several matches, statistics appear to show that something is one -sided. It should not be. This is a neutral platform, therefore there are referees and match officers. I felt that he had been repaired there.
His comments came after Pycroft apologized in Pakistan about his role in instructing both skippers not to shake hands during the collision of 14 September between Pakistan and India.
The PCB confirmed that Pycroft had apologized to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and the team manager and the incident called a result of “miscommunication”. In the meantime, the ICC has expressed the willingness to conduct an investigation into the case.
The incident had left a bitter taste. The captain of India not only avoided a handshake at the throw, but the same behavior was repeated after the game, when players traditionally stand in line to shake hands. While Indian players congratulated each other on the dugout, they kept recognizing the Pakistan side and closed their changing room doors.
The players of Pakistan, who had put in line and expected the usual exchange, continued to wait. India’s triumphant skipper Suryakumar later defended the move and said it was taken in accordance with instructions from his government and Cricket Board.
The fallout has been serious. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also leads to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), condemned the decision and called it against the spirit of the game. In protest, Captain Salman Ali Agha van Pakistan refused to attend the presentation ceremony after the competition, broke from broadcasting standards where Captains must speak.
