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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSenior Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin<\/a> has criticised Pakistan for unfairly targeting match referee Andy Pycroft over the post-match handshake issue following India\u2019s group-stage win in the Asia Cup 2025. Ashwin condemned the Pakistan camp for demanding Pycroft\u2019s removal and accused them of creating unnecessary drama over a routine cricketing decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAndy Pycroft actually saved everybody from seeing such a poor spectacle,\u201d Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat<\/em>. \u201cIndia informed the match referee in advance \u2014 this is our decision, and we will follow it. After all this drama, you lost the match. So what are you complaining about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The comments follow Pakistan\u2019s complaint to the ACC and ICC, asking for Pycroft\u2019s replacement after India\u2019s players opted not to engage in handshakes \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ashwin questioned why Pycroft was being made a scapegoat. \u201cIf no handshake was your problem with India, why drag him into the UAE game? He has done nothing wrong,\u201d he said. Mocking suggestions that Pycroft should have enforced handshakes, Ashwin added, \u201cHe is not a schoolteacher. He can\u2019t tell Surya to shake hands. That\u2019s not his job. What exactly is Pycroft\u2019s fault here?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhether it\u2019s a corporate office, a government firm, or a cricket team \u2014 when there\u2019s 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 \u2014 they said, \u2018We don\u2019t want to shake hands.\u2019 That\u2019s our side of the story. The matter should end there,\u201d Ashwin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also criticized Pakistan\u2019s demand for an apology from Andy Pycroft, questioning the logic behind it. \u201cYou filed a complaint against India, and when the dust settles, you\u2019re saying Pycroft apologised? If I were Andy Pycroft, you are apologising to me. What would I even be apologising for? \u2018I\u2019m sorry that Suryakumar Yadav didn\u2019t shake your hand\u2019? Really?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With India set to face Pakistan again in the Super Four stage on Sunday, Ashwin\u2019s comments underscore the Indian camp\u2019s firm focus on cricket, steering clear of off-field distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravichandran Ashwin slammed Pakistan for holding match referee Andy Pycroft responsible over the handshake controversy following India\u2019s 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\u2019s group-stage win in the […]\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[626,23,15,24,17,54],"class_list":["post-3519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cricket-news","tag-andy-pycroft","tag-cricket-news","tag-e2bet","tag-online-betting","tag-sports-betting","tag-suryakumar-yadav"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3530,"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3519\/revisions\/3530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e2bet777.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Ashwin Defends Team Protocol Ahead of India-Pakistan Clash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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