Despite the Pakistan Cricket Board’s repeated appeals, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has once again appointed Elite Panel match referee Andy Pycroft for Sunday’s high-voltage India-Pakistan encounter.
The official list of match referees has not been released yet, but the other option in the tournament is former West Indies captain Richie Richardson.
Pycroft was also in charge during last Sunday’s match, when India opted not to shake hands with Pakistan as part of a team policy. The controversy deepened after Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav broke the usual toss protocol, placing Pycroft in the spotlight.
The Pakistan team had written two separate emails to the ICC, first requesting Pycroft’s removal from the tournament and later seeking his exclusion from their matches. Both requests were rejected, with the ICC standing firm in support of its Elite Panel referee.
