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DUBAI: Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft will once again be on duty during the Pakistan-India encounter in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday.
Pycroft found himself at the heart of the handshake controversy during last week’s match between the neighbouring countries, who were engaged in cross-border tensions in May this year.
After the match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demanded Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he instructed captains Salman Ali Agha and Suryakumar Yadav to skip the customary handshake at the toss.
The fallout carried into Pakistan’s next game against the UAE, with the team delaying its arrival at the venue by an hour amid tense backroom discussions with the ICC.
It was only after a late meeting, in which Pycroft explained his stance and issued a private apology to Pakistan’s management, that the side agreed to take the field.
Now, with the same official in charge, the high-voltage rematch comes under an added layer of intrigue.
Notably, both India and Pakistan will enter Sunday’s clash on the back of victories. India completed their group stage campaign unbeaten after defeating Oman, while Pakistan edged past the UAE in their final group match.
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk).
Pakistan: Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
READ: Pakistan seek redemption against India after handshake row
