For the second time in as many games, Pakistan cancelled the pre-match press conference hours before the scheduled starting time. The previous instance was before the UAE game on Wednesday, after match referee Andy Pycroft had refused to apologise for the alleged miscommunication regarding the no-handshake incident. This latest cancellation came before the Super Four game against India.
Whether it was because Pycroft is slotted to adjudicate the match is uncertain. Pakistan had demanded his removal from the UAE game, they threatened to pull out of the game before last-gasp negotiations resulted in them playing the match, albeit with an hour’s delay. PCB had announced that the match referee had apologised for the miscommunication about the handshake.
Pakistan could have also been aggravated by ICC reprimanding the PCB for breaching the Player and Managers’ Area protocol. The alleged infringement was the PCB media manager using his mobile phone, prohibited in the PMOA according to ICC’s code of conduct. He allegedly recorded the meeting attended by Pycroft, Pakistan captain Salman Agha, head coach Mike Hesson, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema, media manager Naeem Gillani and the ICC general manager of cricket Wasim Khan.
According to Pakistan media reports, Gillani began to shoot the video of the meeting. The ICC members warned against it, but they were insistent on filming it. Consequently ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta wrote a strongly-worded letter to the PCB.
The PCB then wrote to ICC, clarifying their stand: “The team’s media manager is part of the squad and has authorised access to the PMOA. His presence there is not a violation. ICC protocols include provisions that allow media managers to use cameras. If the SOP was not followed, the ICC should question the match referee on whether he reported the matter to the ACU official,” the PCB wrote to the ICC.
However, Pakistan would practise at the ICC Academy as per the schedule. India too would train, an optional nets, at the same time on the adjacent ground of the Academy.
