Ravichandran Ashwin has strongly criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for creating unnecessary drama around the handshake controversy in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. The issue began after India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, chose not to shake hands with Pakistan following their previous clash. Instead of addressing its team’s performance, the PCB directed its frustration at match referee Andy Pycroft, demanding his removal from the tournament.
Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, praised Pycroft for handling the matter with maturity while questioning why the referee was targeted in the first place.”Andy Pycroft actually saved everybody from seeing such a poor spectacle,” Ashwin said. “India informed the match referee in advance this is our decision, and we will follow it. That’s it. After all this drama, you lost the match. So, what are you complaining about? You didn’t lose because we didn’t shake hands. Please go and find out what you can actually improve.”
Ashwin Defends
The veteran spinner highlighted how the PCB tried to find a scapegoat in Pycroft by asking the ICC to remove him, a baseless request that was rejected outright. Ashwin stressed that the referee did nothing wrong and that the controversy has been blown out of proportion.
“If no handshake was your problem with India, why were you looking for an answer to that problem in the UAE game? Why did you have to make Andy Pycroft the scapegoat? He has done nothing wrong,” Ashwin said.
“He is not a schoolteacher. He’s not a principal. He can’t go and bring Surya and say, ‘Come shake hands’. That’s not his job. What exactly is Pycroft’s fault here,” he further added.
Ashwin Takes Jibe At PCB
The Indian cricketer also ridiculed the PCB for claiming that Pycroft apologised to their captain Salman Agha before the UAE game, pointing out the illogical nature of such a statement.
“Whether it’s a corporate office, a government firm, or a cricket team when there’s an organisational directive, you follow it. Our players were clear: they were here to represent India, and they followed protocol. That’s our side of the story. The matter should end there,” Ashwin said.
“You filed a complaint against India, and when the dust settles, you’re saying Pycroft apologised? If I were Andy Pycroft, you would be apologising to me. What would I even be apologising for? ‘I’m sorry that Suryakumar Yadav didn’t shake your hand’? Really,” he concluded.
The Build-Up To Super 4 Clash
Ashwin’s remarks come ahead of India’s Asia Cup Super 4 encounter against Pakistan on September 21. India had earlier defeated their arch-rivals convincingly, restricting them to 127/9 before chasing the target down with seven wickets in hand.
As the drama around the PCB continues to make headlines, the focus will now shift to India and Pakistan’s on-field battle at the Dubai Cricket Stadium.
Squads
India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
Pakistan Squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Khushdil Shah, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem
