Asia Cup handshake controversy, live updates: Will Pakistan pull out after ICC reject match official request?

A Times Of India report has quoted an unnamed PCB source as saying that Pakistan pulling out of the tournament is "unlikely".

"It is very unlikely that the PCB will pull out from the Asia Cup. If we do that, ICC led by Jay Shah will put heavy sanctions on the PCB, and this is something our board cannot afford," the source said.

Cricbuzz reported that Pakistan have threatened to "not play their match against the UAE if their demand is not upheld". The match in question, scheduled for September 17, has Pycroft listed as the referee. 

According to multiple reports, ICC has written to the PCB rejecting PCB's demand to remove pycroft from the Asia Cup match officials panel. 

On Monday morning, PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council - the body that organises the Asia Cup - posted on X (formerly Twitter) that PCB have lodged a complaint against Pycroft, demanding his removal from the Asia Cup panel. His tweet read: 

"The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup."

"Obviously, we were ready to shake hands at the end of the game. We were disappointed that our opposition didn't do that. We sort of went over there to shake hands and they were already going to the changing room. That was a disappointing way for the match to play. In a match that we were disappointed in the way we played, but certainly we were willing to go and shake hands."

In response to India's refusal to shake hands, Pakistan skipper Agha refused to walk out for the post-match presentation, a fact that was confirmed by Pakistan coach Mike Hesson in the post-match press conference. 

Salman Agha won the toss and chose to bat first. Suryakumar Yadav said India would have fielded first had they won the toss. Neither captains made any comment outside the context of cricket at the time, but they didn't shake hands either, a pleasantry captains usually exchange at the toss. 

At the post-match presentation, India captain Surykumar Yadav dedicated the victory to the Indian armed forces. He said: 

"I just wanted to say something. I think this is the perfect occasion... We stand with the victims of the families of the Pahalgam terror attack and we express our solidarity and also, the most important thing for me - we want to dedicate today's win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an oppotunity to make them smile."

After Yadav tonked Sufiyan Muqeem for a six to seal the match, he and his partner Shivam Dube walked off the pitch without shaking hands with the Pakistan players. In fact, visuals showed the Indian side closing their dressing room door after their players returned even as Pakistan players seemed to wait on the field for the customary post-match handshakes. 

A Cricbuzz report suggests that match referee Andy Pycroft "reached out to Salman Agha at the toss, requesting him not to shake hands with his Indian counterpart Suryakumar."