LAHORE (Kashmir English): A major development has come to light ahead of the crucial match between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates in the Asia Cup 2025.
According to details, former West Indian cricketer Richie Richardson has been appointed as the new match referee, replacing Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft. This match is crucial for both teams in terms of qualifying for the Super Four stage.
According to sources, the basis for this change was the controversy that arose after the Pakistan-India match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 14.
In this match, the Indian team achieved Pakistan’s target of 128 runs in the 16th over thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliant innings. At the end of the match, instead of the traditional handshake, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dubey simply ‘bumped’ and walked straight off the field, while the Pakistani players waited to shake hands.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written a formal letter to the ICC and MCC, raising strong objections to this behavior and the role of the match referee.
The PCB took the position that the players did not shake hands before and after the match at the request of the referee, which is a violation of the spirit of the game and the code of conduct. The letter said that Andy Pycroft failed in this responsibility, and his replacement is inevitable.
Interestingly, the Indian media initially reported that the ICC had rejected the PCB’s demand, but later changed its decision, and Richie Richardson was named the new match referee.
