PCB to announce stance on Asia Cup after ICC rejects referee replacement request

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to issue its official stance on the Asia Cup within the next few hours.

According to sources, the PCB’s request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the tournament has been rejected, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has already informed the board of its decision.

Sources say that if Pakistan’s demand is not met, the team may withdraw from the Asia Cup.

They added that the team management in Dubai is unaware of the ICC’s decision regarding the match referee.

It is also reported that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi may consult key government officials today to determine the future course of action.

Read more: Pakistan cricket team cancels pre-match press conference amid boycott deliberation

Earlier, an Indian cricket website claimed that the ICC had turned down Pakistan’s request to replace Andy Pycroft as referee for the Pakistan-India match.

The ICC reportedly notified the PCB of this decision last night.

Pakistan had made the request to the ICC following the “handshake incident” during the September 15 match against India and had warned that it would not play further Asia Cup matches if the referee was not replaced.