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Illegal Actions To Handshake Controversy: Andy Pycroft's Troubled History With Pakistan

Poulomi Chakraborty

Pakistan-Pycroft Saga (Source: @lostguy79/x.com, @CallMeSheri1_/x.com)Pakistan-Pycroft Saga (Source: @lostguy79/x.com, @CallMeSheri1_/x.com)

Apart from struggling with form, Pakistan and controversies have become two sides of a coin. From early struggles to off-field drama, the script has been familiar, and the recent India-Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup 2025 only added fresh fuel to the fire.

After the handshake saga with the Indian side, the Pakistan Cricket Board accused Andy Pycroft and even threatened to boycott the upcoming clash. For Pakistan, this wasn’t a new tussle; Pycroft has long been a thorn in their side, with past run-ins involving several former stars adding fuel to the tension.

Pycroft-Pakistan Saga In the Asia Cup 2025

Crossing the borders between India and Pakistan, the dead fight entered the cricket arena as a cold war, and the Asia Cup 2025 has witnessed a bizarre moment. After India’s win over Pakistan, captain Suryakumar Yadav chose not to shake hands with the opposition. The Men in Green lingered on the field, but no Indian player returned, turning the moment into a cold war flashpoint in the rivalry’s history.

The Pakistan Cricket Board didn’t take it lightly as they alleged that match referee Andy Pycroft told Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands and asked for her removal. Adding to this, they also threatened to boycott the campaign. That controversy heated up the high-voltage tournament.

When Hafeez And Ajmal Faced Pycroft’s Blow

As the controversy between match referee Andy Pycroft and Pakistan is taking up the world, their uneasy relationship is not new. Over the years, several Pakistani stars have felt the brunt of his decisions. Back in 2014, Pycroft delivered a massive blow by handing spinner Saeed Ajmal a career-shaking punishment.

In 2014, Pakistan faced Sri Lanka in a Test series, and the first Test match took place in Galle. After Saeed Ajmal’s suspect bowling action came into the limelight. A subsequent biomechanical test declared his bowling illegal, leading to an ICC ban, a crushing setback for the Men in Green, who lost one of their most lethal weapons overnight.

Just a month later to the action, another Pycroft-Pakistan stirred up. As Pakistan was facing New Zealand in the first Test of a Test series in Abu Dhabi, Mohammad Hafeez’s bowling action grabbed the attention.

Pycroft, who was the match referee, reported his bowling action, and the review showed that every delivery he bowled went beyond the 15-degree flex limit allowed by the rules. Hafeez was slapped with a 12-month ban from bowling in international cricket, another heavy blow that deepened Pakistan’s woes.

With the fresh controversy rewrites a new chapter of the Pycroft-Pakistan saga is rewritten in international cricket. With Pakistan advancing to the Super Four, all eyes will be on the next clash, as fans eagerly wait to see how this tense face-off unfolds.