Dubai: The International Cricket Council has rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) demand to remove Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft from the panel of umpires for the ongoing Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dubai. The PCB had filed a complaint with the ICC alleging that Pycroft had asked Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav during the toss in the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan on Sunday.
"The ICC sent a reply to the PCB late last night stating that Pycroft will not be removed and his petition has been rejected," an ICC source told PTI. Pycroft is scheduled to officiate Pakistan's final group stage match against the UAE on Wednesday. Pycroft is one of the most senior match referees in the ICC Elite Panel, having officiated 695 international matches (men's and women's across all three formats). Pakistan team manager Naved Cheema had also lodged a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council, alleging that team sheets were not exchanged between the two captains on Sunday at Pycroft's insistence.