The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dismissed its Director of Cricket Operations, Usman Walha, following the controversy surrounding the lack of a handshake between the captains of India and Pakistan after their Asia Cup Group A match in Dubai.
Director’s Failure to Communicate Policy Leads to Sack
Reports indicate that Walha was removed from his position for failing to inform Pakistan captain Salman Agha about the no handshake policy in place for the tournament. According to PTI, an upset PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), took the decision to sack Walha after the incident caused embarrassment to the national team and its captain.
Sources claim that it was Walha’s responsibility to brief Agha on the tournament’s policies, but he apparently failed to do so, leaving the Pakistan captain unaware of the no-handshake rule. One PCB source was quoted saying, “Walha should have addressed the issue at the toss itself when the two captains didn’t shake hands. Naqvi was furious as it was handled poorly.”
PCB Backtracks on Withdrawal Threat
After the incident, Pakistan initially threatened to withdraw from the ongoing Asia Cup but has since softened its stance. However, they are demanding that match referee Andy Pycroft be replaced by Richie Richardson for Pakistan’s remaining games.
The controversy erupted when Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the Group A match. The PCB blamed Pycroft for the fiasco, claiming he instructed Agha not to shake hands with India’s Suryakumar Yadav and also prevented the exchange of team sheets between the two captains, a standard practice.
PCB’s Strong Response to Match Referee’s Conduct
In an official letter to the ICC, the PCB expressed their dissatisfaction with Pycroft’s conduct. The letter stated that the match referee failed in his duty to ensure respect between the two teams, thereby creating a negative atmosphere. The PCB accused Pycroft of acting in a manner that contradicted the spirit of the game, violating the ICC Code of Conduct for Match Officials.
The PCB’s letter also emphasized the political sensitivity surrounding the incident and its far-reaching consequences, stating that the match referee’s actions had caused disrepute to the game.
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