Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan-UAE Match Proceeds After Delay Following Pycroft Meeting and Handshake Controversy Apology

Much like the match eve, when Pakistan cancelled their press conference after hours of uncertainty, the Pakistan-UAE match day followed a similar script. Despite the toss being scheduled for 6:00pm local time, the Pakistan team remained at their hotel until as late as 5:30pm.

Cricbuzz understands that the players were ready to leave, kit bags packed and lined up, but were instructed to wait until further notice. A sizeable crowd had also gathered outside the gates to watch the team's departure, but there was no movement, raising doubts about whether the match would proceed at all.

Around the same time, word emerged that a press conference was being arranged in Lahore. That, however, never materialized. Instead, the Pakistan team finally left the hotel around 5:45pm, minutes after PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi tweeted that the squad had been asked to head to the Dubai International Stadium. The match, as a result, was delayed by an hour.

Pakistan's 15-kilometre journey took close to 40 minutes, delayed by heavy evening traffic and the last-minute security cordons set up for the team bus. In the middle of all this, the UAE team reached the stadium premises around 5:00pm local time.

Andy Pycroft, who was in the stadium by 5:00pm local time and reportedly left the premises during the standoff, later officiated Pakistan's match against the UAE. In the aftermath, the PCB released a video (no audio) and a press note revealing that Pycroft, the match referee they had twice requested the ICC to remove from Asia Cup duties, had deemed the September 14 handshake controversy a case of "miscommunication" and issued an apology.

In a meeting at the Dubai International Stadium, Pycroft was joined by Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, coach Mike Hesson and team manager Naveed Cheema, who had lodged the PCB's protest over India's refusal to shake hands after their Asia Cup fixture.

"ICC's controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologized to the manager and captain of the Pakistani cricket team," the board said in a media release.

"Andy Pycroft had prohibited the captains of both teams from shaking hands during the India-Pakistan match. The Pakistan Cricket Board had strongly reacted to Andy Pycroft's action.

"Andy Pycroft termed the incident on September 14 as a result of miscommunication and apologized. The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate the violation of the Code of Conduct during the match on September 14."