Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday stressed the need to separate sports from political wrangling, as International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Andy Pycroft apologised to Pakistan cricket team manager and captain.
Naqvi said they had requested the ICC to hold an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred on September 14, emphasising that cricket and politics cannot go hand in hand. “Cricket is a sport, and it should remain a sport. Cricket must stay above all this,” he added.
Addressing a press conference in Dubai, Naqvi said he had asked former PCB chiefs Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja to hold discussions, since the decision to boycott—if taken—would have been significant.
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Pycroft had barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during their match, a move that drew a strong reaction from the PCB.
The match referee termed the September 14 incident a result of miscommunication and apologised to the management in person. The ICC expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the match against India.
He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and several others were also involved in the process. Expressing gratitude, he said: “We also don’t know what decision should be taken at the last moment, so we are thankful to Allah that he upheld the dignity of the country in line with the expectations of the nation.”
With an eye on performance, Naqvi said the team still had room to improve. “Even if there are weaknesses, we will rectify them. We have a panel of selectors who will review the performances, and I promise that if there are weaknesses, I will definitely ask them to overcome them.”
Sethi reinforced that the PCB has always kept politics out of its domain. “PCB has always held the stance that there should be no politics in sports. Even when I was chairman, we had the same stance, and even today it remains the same. They played politics, but we didn’t. We showed sportsman spirit, we asked for an apology, and they apologised.”
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Raja also described the recent developments as a win for cricket. “It was a critical situation, emotions were high, and I am happy we didn’t make an emotional decision that could damage cricket. I have always believed that the cricket team must speak through its performance. They should carry it forward, and whatever the frustration or hurt sentiments, they should show it through their cricket and prove to the world how good a cricketing nation we are.”
He raised concerns over the frequent appointment of Pycroft as match referee for India’s games, noting that Pycroft has officiated in 90 matches involving India — a number he finds surprising and inappropriate for a neutral platform. He added that once the apology came, it became clear the issue needed to stay within the arena of sport.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket team arrived at the Dubai Cricket Stadium for their must-win game against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after receiving permission from the PCB chairman. The UAE won the toss and chose to bowl against Pakistan.
