ICC may sanction PCB over Asia Cup 2025 breaches

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly considering disciplinary action against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for “multiple breaches of tournament regulations” ahead of their Asia Cup match against the United Arab Emirates.

According to reports, the Pakistan team delayed their match in protest after the ICC rejected their demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft. The ICC later sent an email to the PCB, citing misconduct and breaches of Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocols.

A source told PTI: “ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta wrote to the PCB stating that the board was guilty of repeated breaches of PMOA regulations on match day.”

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Media Manager at the Center of Controversy

The controversy deepened when Pakistan allowed media manager Naeem Gilani to film a meeting between Pycroft, head coach Mike Hesson, and captain Salman Ali Agha before the toss. ICC officials had already clarified that media managers are not permitted to attend such meetings.

The Pakistan team also refused to leave their hotel initially, accusing Pycroft of being responsible for the “no handshakes” controversy during the India clash, which delayed the start of that match by nearly an hour.

PCB alleged that Pycroft prevented Salman Ali Agha from shaking hands with India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav during the toss. However, Pycroft clarified that the absence of handshakes was not intended as a political statement but was linked to showing solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

ICC Objects to Filming and “Apology” Claim

The ICC had already agreed to a pre-toss meeting with the captain and manager to address misunderstandings from the India game. However, the PCB reportedly insisted that its media manager be present and even attempted to record the conversation — a direct violation of PMOA rules.

“The PCB threatened to withdraw from the match if the media manager was not allowed in the meeting, and later insisted on filming the conversation without audio. This was against PMOA rules, but the ICC conceded to avoid disruption to the tournament,” the source revealed.

The governing body was also displeased with a PCB press release that claimed Pycroft had “apologized.” The ICC clarified that Pycroft had only expressed regret over a miscommunication, not apologized.

Possible Sanctions Ahead

The ICC is now weighing possible sanctions against the PCB for repeated breaches. While the extent of disciplinary action remains unclear, officials warned that further violations could affect Pakistan’s participation in the tournament.