Pakistan-UAE Asia Cup Clash Hit by Delay, Boycott Threat Amid Referee Dispute: What Sparked the Crisis?

The Asia Cup fixture between Pakistan and the UAE in Dubai was thrown into uncertainty on Wednesday evening, with the start delayed by an hour and strong indications that Pakistan could forfeit the match. The controversy arose from Pakistan’s objection to Andy Pycroft continuing as match referee. The ICC had earlier looked into the matter and cleared Pycroft of any misconduct, ruling that “appointment of match officials is a centralised ICC decision and it can't be influenced by considerations of any member board.”As per reports, Pycroft was present at the stadium before later leaving for the ICC headquarters. Meanwhile, the Pakistan team was stopped from travelling to the ground despite their kit bags already being loaded onto the bus. The UAE side, however, had reached the venue on schedule.More recently, ACC President and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has tweeted on X that the Pakistan side has been asked to depart for the Dubai Cricket stadium.As per latest updates, the UAE-Pakistan match will commence at 7:30PM local time (9:00PM IST). The toss is set to take place at 7:00PM local time (8:30PM IST) There were also reports that senior figures Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi had been called to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) office in Lahore, where PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to address the media. Preparations for a press conference were underway later in the evening. The ICC has maintained that Pycroft acted appropriately, noting he “did not breach any match protocols; in fact, he helped prevent potential embarrassment for both captains by informing them that the organisers had decided to skip the handshake at the toss.” With uncertainty still in the air, there is yet to be an official word from the PCB.