Pakistan Not Pulling Out Of Asia Cup; Match With UAE 'Delayed By An Hour', Says Board
Pakistan's refusal to play the match would have automatically led to the UAE's qualification into the next round.
Shortly after it was reported that Pakistan was pulling out of the Asia Cup, the country's cricket board has reportedly clarified that the scheduled match with the United Arab Emirates with Dubai will be played on Wednesday.
The Pakistani cricket team has finally headed to the stadium for its must-win group match against the UAE, after causing a dramatic delay to protest against the International Cricket Council's persistent rejection of the country's demand to have Andy Pycroft removed as match referee.
"The team has left for the stadium, the match will be delayed by an hour," tournament sources told PTI.
The Pakistan Cricket Board, according to local media, said in a statement that the match with the UAE has been "delayed by an hour". It was earlier scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm local time (8:00 pm IST).
The PCB had called for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, whom it held responsible for the embarrassment its team faced on Sunday, when the Indian players walked out of the ground without shaking hands of their Pakistani counterparts following the match.
The ICC, however, refused to comply with the PCB's demand for Pycroft's ouster.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team, which triumphed dominantly against Pakistan in a one-sided game, decided not to shake hands as a mark of solidarity with the Indian armed forces and the victims of Pahalgam terror attack.
The defeat on Sunday made Wednesday's match a must-win for Pakistan to qualify for the next round of Asia Cup. However, the team initially refused to leave its hotel after the country's demand to have Andy Pycroft removed as match referee was rejected for a second time by the ICC.
"Pycroft will remain match referee for Wednesday's game and if Pakistan don't turn up, UAE will be awarded full points," a source told news agency PTI.
Pakistan's refusal to play the match would have automatically led to the UAE's qualification into the next round.
(With PTI inputs)
Editor's note: This article earlier stated, citing an NDTV report, that Pakistan has pulled out of the Asia Cup over the handshake row with India. The article's headline and content was later updated after fresh details showed the team has not boycotted the tournament.
