Team India, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, will face Salman Ali Agha’s Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 stage on Sunday, September 21, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The high-profile clash will be overseen by ICC match referee Andy Pycroft, a former Zimbabwe international, whose appointment has sparked controversy.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had raised objections following the much-debated handshake incident in IND-PAK group-stage encounter on September 14.
PCB urged the ICC to remove Pycroft from officiating duties and even pressed for an inquiry into his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct. The ICC, however, dismissed these appeals outright and confirmed that Pycroft will continue as match referee for the marquee encounter.
STORY | Asia Cup: Pycroft will be match referee again for Super 4s India-Pakistan game
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has once again assigned the high-voltage India-Pakistan Asia Cup Super 4s game on Sunday to its Elite Panel Match Referee Andy Pycroft despite PCB’s… pic.twitter.com/y3xlHR5V55
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 20, 2025
The group stage of the Asia Cup 2025 wrapped up following India’s clash with Oman, with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh progressing to the Super 4 stage.
In this next phase, organized by the Asian Cricket Council, each team will face the others once, and the top two teams from this round-robin will move on to compete in the final.
PCB vs Andy Pycroft Saga
Pakistan had filed a formal protest against match referee Andy Pycroft for instructing captains Salman Ali Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands after the toss.
Although Pycroft later apologized, calling it a “miscommunication” and clarifying that he acted on the organisers’ request.
The controversy began when Team India declined to shake hands with Pakistan following their September 14 clash. The situation escalated to the point where Pakistan threatened to withdraw from their UAE match if Pycroft remained in charge, leading the referee to issue a formal apology.
The ICC, however, rejected Pakistan’s objections, clarifying that Andy Pycroft had acted within the tournament’s rules.
The referee was simply passing on instructions from the ACC venue manager, and the governing body confirmed that no protocol had been breached.
Meanwhile, the ICC is reportedly evaluating disciplinary measures against PCB for misconduct, particularly for recording a meeting with Pycroft in a restricted area, which violates tournament regulations. The directive regarding the no-handshake policy is expected to remain in effect for the upcoming India-Pakistan Super 4 clash.
