Ravichandran Ashwin slammed Pakistan for holding match referee Andy Pycroft responsible over the handshake controversy following India’s Asia Cup victory.
Ashwin Defends Andy Pycroft Amid Asia Cup Handshake Controversy
Senior Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised Pakistan for unfairly targeting match referee Andy Pycroft over the post-match handshake issue following India’s group-stage win in the Asia Cup 2025. Ashwin condemned the Pakistan camp for demanding Pycroft’s removal and accused them of creating unnecessary drama over a routine cricketing decision.
“Andy Pycroft actually saved everybody from seeing such a poor spectacle,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat. “India informed the match referee in advance — this is our decision, and we will follow it. After all this drama, you lost the match. So what are you complaining about?”
The comments follow Pakistan’s complaint to the ACC and ICC, asking for Pycroft’s replacement after India’s players opted not to engage in handshakes — a decision reportedly influenced by recent geopolitical tensions. Pakistan escalated matters by recording a closed-door meeting with Pycroft in the restricted PMOA and leaking the footage online, prompting an ICC investigation.
Ashwin questioned why Pycroft was being made a scapegoat. “If no handshake was your problem with India, why drag him into the UAE game? He has done nothing wrong,” he said. Mocking suggestions that Pycroft should have enforced handshakes, Ashwin added, “He is not a schoolteacher. He can’t tell Surya to shake hands. That’s not his job. What exactly is Pycroft’s fault here?”
Ashwin Defends Team Protocol Ahead of India-Pakistan Clash
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin clarified that the players were simply following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), comparing it to obeying instructions in any professional setting.
“Whether it’s a corporate office, a government firm, or a cricket team — when there’s an organisational directive, you follow it. Our players were clear: they were here to represent India, and they followed protocol. The cricketers also communicated their stance — they said, ‘We don’t want to shake hands.’ That’s our side of the story. The matter should end there,” Ashwin said.
He also criticized Pakistan’s demand for an apology from Andy Pycroft, questioning the logic behind it. “You filed a complaint against India, and when the dust settles, you’re saying Pycroft apologised? If I were Andy Pycroft, you are apologising to me. What would I even be apologising for? ‘I’m sorry that Suryakumar Yadav didn’t shake your hand’? Really?”
With India set to face Pakistan again in the Super Four stage on Sunday, Ashwin’s comments underscore the Indian camp’s firm focus on cricket, steering clear of off-field distractions.
