Pakistan team informed UAE match will go ahead, but referee uncertainty remains

Pakistan players have been informed that their Asia Cup 2025 Group A match on Wednesday, September 17, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium will go ahead as scheduled. However, the appointment of the match referee remains unconfirmed.

Uncertainty continues over whether Richie Richardson or Andy Pycroft will take charge. Richardson’s presence in Dubai has fuelled speculation, but no official confirmation has been made regarding his role.

Earlier, Pakistan had threatened to boycott the Asia Cup following the handshake saga involving Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian team, which escalated tensions within their camp. Their grievance centred on match referee Andy Pycroft, whom they accused of acting against the Spirit of the Game. The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Pakistan’s demand to remove Pycroft from the tournament.

Pakistan also skipped their pre-match press conference, raising speculation about a possible boycott. However, it has since been confirmed that they will play against the UAE on Wednesday. For that game, Richie Richardson will act as the match referee, while Andy Pycroft will continue in the role for the rest of the tournament.

According to sources, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before the final decision was made.

More to follow…

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