PCB fires back at ICC’s email amid ban threat, paints Andy Pycroft as ultimate villain

The ongoing war between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has now taken a fierce turn. The PCB has come out strongly in its reply to the ICC after being questioned over its recent conduct in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.

The fresh controversy erupted when the ICC sought clarification from the PCB on the presence of Pakistan’s media manager during the emergency meeting with the match referee Andy Pycroft, captain Salman Ali Agha, head coach Mike Hesson, and team manager Naveed Akram Cheema.

PCB defends Pakistan Media Manager, turns heat on ICC and Andy Pycroft

In its response, the PCB made it clear that the media manager Naeem Gillani was given proper authorization to access the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA).

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They stressed that his presence was not a breach of rules and turned the tables on the ICC by asking why Pycroft did not raise the matter with the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) if any Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) had truly been violated.

🚨 BREAKING: PCB has responded to ICC's mail stating that the team's media manager had authorized access to the PMOA adding that his presence in the meeting with match referee Andy Pycroft is not a violation. PCB has further asked the ICC that if the SOP was not followed then…

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) September 19, 2025

By taking this stance, the PCB has not only defended its move but also questioned the ICC’s handling of the matter.

ICC accuses PCB of multiple PMOA breaches

Earlier, the ICC sent a formal email to the PCB accusing the board of “misconduct” and multiple breaches of the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) rules ahead of Pakistan’s group match against the UAE on Wednesday, September 17.

It is being said that Pakistan allowed media manager Naeem Gillani to film a pre-match meeting involving match referee Andy Pycroft, captain Salman Ali Agha, and head coach Mike Hesson despite such things being strictly barred by ICC regulations.

A tournament source was quoted as saying by PTI: “The ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has written to the PCB stating that the board has been guilty of repeated PMOA violations on match day. PCB is in receipt of the email. PCB brought to the meeting their media manager and insisted that he be present during the conversation.”

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The ICC warned Pakistan that repeated PMOA breaches will not be tolerated. But now the PCB has shifted the spotlight to the world’s governing body.

They stated that if it violated the protocol, the match referee should've reported it to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) official rather than bringing in the ICC into the action. Now, it remains to be seen how the ICC reacts to their response.

Why Pakistan agreed to continue playing Asia Cup 2025 after no-handshake controversy?

Meanwhile, there are multiple reasons why Pakistan decided to participate in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 despite the handshake controversy with India. The board revealed that match referee Andy Pycroft apologized for not allowing captains Salman Ali Agha and Suryakumar Yadav to shake hands during the toss in the high-voltage clash in Dubai on September 14.

Read Also: Andy Pycroft exposes Mohsin Naqvi's role in 'No-Handshake' controversy in Asia Cup 2025

Initially, Pakistan had demanded Pycroft’s removal and even hinted at pulling out of the tournament. However, financial realities forced a change in plans. With Sony holding media rights worth $170 million for the 2024-31 Asia Cup cycle, Pakistan stood to lose $10–15 million if it withdrew.

This included revenue from sponsorships, ticketing, and the share for full-member nations. The PCB also faced potential sanctions from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) under pressure from broadcasters and other boards. Facing huge financial and regulatory risks, Pakistan ultimately decided to play.