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Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hit out at Pakistan for targeting match referee Andy Pycroft in the aftermath of the much-debated handshake controversy during the Asia Cup 2025.
The issue erupted after India and Pakistan clashed in Dubai last week, their first meeting since cross-border tensions resurfaced in May.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demanded Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he instructed captain Salman Ali Agha to skip the customary handshake at the toss.
This sparked days of fallout, including Pakistan delaying their match against the UAE amid tense talks with the ICC.
The matter was only resolved once Pycroft met the team management, explained his position, and privately apologised.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin defended Pycroft and accused Pakistan of manufacturing unnecessary drama.
He argued that the referee had merely conveyed India’s stance to avoid an awkward on-field moment.
“Andy Pycroft actually saved everybody from seeing such a poor spectacle. India had informed the referee in advance that this was our decision, and we would stick to it. He simply passed on the message,” Ashwin explained.
The veteran spinner stressed that Pycroft was unfairly made the scapegoat for a decision that lay solely with the Indian players and the BCCI.
“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 make Andy Pycroft the scapegoat? He has done nothing wrong,” Ashwin said.
“He is not a schoolteacher or a principal who can drag players together and make them shake hands. That’s not his job. What exactly is Pycroft’s fault here?” he added.
Ashwin concluded by underlining that the Indian players had been clear about their position from the outset, and the matter should have ended there rather than spiralling into controversy.
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