Pakistan Stage Fresh Protest After Mohsin Naqvi Suffers Massive Blow From ICC | Cricket News

Pakistan cancelled their pre-match press conference ahead of their do-or-die Asia Cup 2025 clash against the United Arab Emirates, scheduled for Wednesday (September 17), in what looks like another protest amid their appeal to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to withdraw match referee Andy Pycroft from the tournament.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hasn’t officially confirmed the reason behind it. Reports coming from the UAE and Pakistan are contrasting, with some saying that the Men in Green want to zero in their focus on practice and avoid distractions, while others claim that they want to avoid questions about a possible boycott.

The PCB has kicked up a fuss over the handshake controversy in Sunday’s Asia Cup 2025 clash against rivals India. The Men in Blue refused to shake hands with Salman Agha’s team after sealing a huge seven-wicket win, with referee Pycroft reportedly asking them to avoid that, too, during the toss.

The board has accused Pycroft of going against the spirit of cricket, demanding that ICC remove him from the tournament, saying that if their demand is not heeded, Pakistan will boycott the rest of the Asia Cup. The world body has rejected that idea, and until any last-minute change, the former Zimbabwe international is set to officiate Wednesday’s game between Pakistan and the UAE.

PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi is leading the board’s efforts with the ICC. Interestingly, he’s also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, the governing body for the Asia Cup, and a minister in the Pakistani government.

Another theory about the cancelled press conference suggests that Naqvi has yet to make up his mind about boycotting the tournament. However, any such boycott would be costly for PCB, which is already a bit cash-strapped, and mind end up costing them anywhere between 100-150 crores in tournament revenue.

The UAE clash is extremely important for Pakistan. Both teams are tied at two points each after two games. The winner will proceed to the Super Four stage, while the loser’s campaign will end after the 40 overs. If Pakistan reach the next round, they’ll get another crack at India.