Andy Pycroft purposely placed by ICC for India’s match, ex-PCB Chief Ramiz Raza makes explosive claim

Andy Pycroft was the match referee for the India vs Pakistan game and was blamed by the PCB for the handshake gate.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was adamant that Andy Pycroft should be removed from the Asia Cup panel of officials. Twice, they wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the matter. The move didn’t really make sense.

To explain their stance, PCB believed Pycroft was favouring India. In both letters to ICC, they claimed Pycroft instructed the teams not to shake hands. However, the ICC clarified that Pycroft only communicated India’s decision to Pakistan.

In short, the match referee didn’t play any role in the whole handshake debacle. But PCB went as far as boycotting the Pakistan vs UAE match over the matter. In the end, the game was delayed by an hour, and Pycroft continued after officially apologising.

Ex-PCB Chief alleges BCCI-ICC corruption

So, why was PCB so adamant about Pycroft’s removal? Well, former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja’s recent comment has made it clear. Raja, while addressing the press at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, alleged that Pycroft is in cahoots with Team India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“One interesting thing I noticed is that whenever India’s playing, Andy Pycroft is there. He’s a favourite of theirs. It looks like he’s a permanent fixture for them. 90 times, he has been a match referee for India’s matches,” Ramiz told reporters in Lahore.

There’s no doubt about BCCI being the biggest superpower in cricket. Given the relations between the two nations, had Raja just accused them, it would have been fine. But the former Pakistan captain didn’t stop there. He alleged that the ICC is complicit in giving India an advantage.

This comment was hinted towards Jay Shah, the current Chairman of ICC. The current man in charge of international cricket was the last BCCI Secretary. Without a doubt, he’ll think about India’s interest. But Raja, not in direct ways, alleges that Pycroft has been used by ICC to help India come out on top of things.

“This looks like a very blatantly one-sided thing, and this shouldn’t happen. This is a neutral platform. I feel like he’s been purposely placed there (by the ICC) for India’s matches,” Ramiz told reporters in Lahore.