Pakistan captain Salman Agha - (Source : AFP)
In a significant development, PCB spokesperson has confirmed that the Asia Cup 2025 match between Pakistan and UAE has been delayed by an hour. The match which was slated to begin at 8:00 pm IST, will now get underway at 9:00 pm according to the PCB official.
The development comes amid the reports that Pakistan are all set to pull out of Asia Cup 2025 as the ICC has rejected their demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft after the handshake saga vs India.
Notably, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is in deep discussion with former chairmans Ramiz Raza and Najam Sethi, which is why the match has been delayed as Salman Ali Agha and his men have been advised to stay in Hotel until a concrete decision comes out.
Why Did PCB Hold A Press Conference Ahead Of Asia Cup Match?
The issue started with India's refusal to shake hands against Pakistan after their heavyweight match against the Men in Green. The Salman Agha-led team were hurt by the gesture and the PCB lodged an official complaint regarding the same.
Further, the Mohsin Naqvi-led board demanded the removal of match referee from Asia Cup as they accused Andy Pycroft of not informing Pakistan regarding India's decision to not shake hands. Also, the report added that that it was Pycroft who had actually instructed both teams to not shake hands during the toss.
ICC refused to listen to PCB's demands, following which the board had threatened to pull out of the Asia Cup 2025 match against UAE. It followed with reports that the ICC might actually replace Pycroft for Pakistan games.
However, on Wednesday, September 17, Pakistan was set to travel to the stadium and a few players had also boarded the bus, but the PCB asked them to stay back in hotel and instead held a presser in Lahore, where they revealed the decision to pull out of the tournament.
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