Pakistan has confirmed it will not hold its traditional pre-match press conference ahead of the highly anticipated Super-4 showdown against India on September 21 at Dubai International Stadium, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced.
The decision comes amid lingering tensions from the previous India-Pakistan encounter in the tournament, when the Indian team notably skipped the customary post-match handshake. The incident sparked controversy and official complaints from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), raising the stakes for Sunday’s clash. With this history, the match promises to be closely watched both on and off the field.
Pakistan will not hold its pre-match press conference ahead of the match against India: Asian Cricket Council
The India-Pakistan match is scheduled on September 21 at the Dubai International Stadium.
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2025
Scheduled Press Conference Canceled, Training Continues
According to the ACC’s schedule, Pakistan had planned a press briefing at 6 PM local time on Saturday, followed by a three-hour training session at Dubai’s ICC Academy. While the press conference has now been canceled, sources confirm that the team’s training will proceed as planned.
This marks the second consecutive game in which Pakistan has opted out of pre-match media duties. The board had also declined a press conference ahead of their crucial game against the UAE, amid ongoing tensions over the handshake saga involving match referee Andy Pycroft.
Pycroft Remains Match Referee Amid Past Controversy
Pycroft has been appointed as the match referee for the India-Pakistan game on Sunday. Earlier in the tournament, a feud erupted after he told Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha that there would be no handshake with India captain Suryakumar Yadav, a move Pakistan criticized as a breach of ICC conduct and demanded his removal.
The situation eased after the ICC facilitated a meeting between Pycroft and Pakistan’s coach, captain, and team officials, where he expressed regrets over the incident. Following the meeting, the PCB released a short video, without audio, stating that Pycroft had apologized. The ICC, however, objected to the recording, citing a breach of protocol in the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA). There is no public record of the PCB responding.
India Also Skips Saturday Press Conference
India will not hold a press conference on Saturday either. As standard practice for teams with just a day between games, they had already conducted an embargoed press briefing after their match against Oman on Friday, looking ahead to the clash with Pakistan.
Sunday’s match will mark the first encounter for both teams in the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup. Beyond the cricketing action, fans will be watching closely to see how the off-field rivalry continues to unfold, making this one of the most talked-about fixtures of the tournament.
