PCB plans a late-night meeting to discuss whether to join the Asia Cup

PCB plans a late-night meeting to discuss whether to join the Asia Cup

Asia Cup 2025: The Pakistan Cricket Board will decide on the national team’s Asia Cup participation on Wednesday after the handshake controversy in their match against India. India will face Pakistan again in the next round if the Pakistan team qualifies for the Super 4 round.

Pakistan’s participation in the ongoing Asia Cup remains uncertain, with no official confirmation even as the team prepares for a must-win match against the UAE. The confusion stems from the ICC’s rejection of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft, following a controversy over a post-match handshake incident.

Throughout Tuesday, the PCB maintained silence and claimed it hadn’t received any formal response from the ICC. However, by late evening, officials informally acknowledged that they had indeed received the ICC’s reply. Despite this, they continued to send mixed signals about whether the team would continue in the tournament, having earlier made Pycroft’s removal a condition for participation.

Adding to the uncertainty, the PCB cancelled its scheduled pre-match press conference after hours of indecision. Yet, the team still went ahead with its evening practice session at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Interestingly, their training overlapped with India’s, with both teams practising on adjacent grounds. India wrapped up before Pakistan arrived, avoiding any direct interaction.

During the session, Fakhar Zaman faced a rotation of bowlers including Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Nawaz, while Saim Ayub focused on controlling his cut shot an area that led to his dismissal against India. Salman Ali Agha spent time against spin but didn’t look in top form, and Mohammad Haris underwent specialised wicketkeeping drills.

While the full squad trained under humid conditions, they were reportedly awaiting instructions from PCB headquarters in Lahore. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was in Islamabad, consulting with government officials about the situation. His visit, though official in nature, was said to be focused on the handshake controversy and the standoff with the ICC.

Late Tuesday night, PCB spokesperson Amir Mir stated that no final decision had been made regarding Pakistan’s continuation in the Asia Cup. He added that consultations were ongoing and a decision would be announced by Wednesday, keeping Pakistan’s best interests in mind.