Pakistan Suspends Official Over Handshake Dispute
Newz Daddy Asia Cup Updates
The PCB Blamed Its Own Director For The Handshake Dispute And Called For Accountability.
Pakistan suspends a high-ranking official for failing to address the handshake dispute.
After Pakistan lost to India in the 2025 Asia Cup, the PCB reportedly terminated its Director of International Cricket Operations for failing to resolve the handshake dispute.
Usman Wahla, the Director of International Cricket Operations for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has reportedly been suspended after the national men’s side lost to India by seven wickets in the 2025 Asia Cup. Wahla was disciplined by the Mohsin Naqvi-led board for ‘failing to take quick action’ about the handshake issue that spoiled the high-profile meeting, according to reports in Pakistani media.
After the game, the problem started when Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts. The PCB demanded that match referee Andy Pycroft be fired, turning what should have been a post-game formality into a significant dispute. He has been directly held accountable by the board for the disaster, which has further strained ties between the two bitter rivals in cricket.
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Following the seven-wicket triumph, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav defended his team’s stance by claiming it was an act of sympathy with the families of those slain in the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Indian security sources blamed the attack, which claimed 26 lives, on militants supported by Pakistan.
Although the team’s tournament match against Pakistan sparked intense criticism in India, Suryakumar maintained that the team’s refusal to shake hands was a symbolic gesture of respect.
The development caused a strong reaction from the PCB. The board has now asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to step in after first bringing up the matter with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The demand has additional levels of complication because India’s Jay Shah is in charge of the ICC, while PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is currently in charge of the ACC. However, the Asia Cup itself is not directly within the ICC’s authority; rather, it is overseen by the ACC.
“The PCB has filed a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket,” Naqvi said in a statement posted on X. The PCB has insisted that the match referee be taken out of the Asia Cup right away.
The PCB claims that at the toss, Pycroft gave Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha explicit instructions not to shake hands with his Indian opponent. Naved Cheema, the manager of the Pakistani squad, has also complained to the ACC, claiming that Pycroft discouraged the two captains from exchanging team sheets prior to the game.
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