PCB spokesperson drops late-night WhatsApp text to journalists, Pakistan run helter-skelter about Asia Cup boycott

It’s been a difficult two-plus days on and off the field for Pakistan cricket, the off-field developments helping mask a timid, underwhelming display against India and devolving into a show of petulance and one-upmanship that has deprived them of their place on the moral high horse.

From their perspective, Pakistan had every reason to be ‘disappointed’, as coach Mike Hesson put it, at India’s refusal to shake hands after the T20 Asia Cup Group A fixture on Sunday. Pakistan should have seen it coming, given that they are the ones who have alleged that match referee Andy Pycroft instructed the captains, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha, not to greet each other at the toss. Pakistan still lined up for the handshake convention at the end of India’s seven-wicket victory, only to find that their opponents weren’t willing to play ball.

From their perspective, Pakistan perhaps had good reason to feel aggrieved. In protest, they refused to field Agha for the post-match presentation ceremony, though Shaheen Shah Afridi, who hit four sixes, did pick up his award. That, it is said in various circles, resulted in Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi suspending Usman Wahla, the PCB’s Director International.

In the immediacy of the handshake snub, the PCB dashed off a release made available to Pakistani journalists in which it claimed that Pycroft had ‘requested the captains not to shake hands at the toss’. Then followed a formal complaint to the International Cricket Council’s general manager Wasim Khan, demanding that Pycroft, the former Zimbabwe batter, be stood down for the rest of the tournament. “The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket,” Naqvi said in a tweet on Monday. “The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup.” While there was no specific threat of a boycott if their demand was not met, those in the know of things insisted that the PCB was seriously contemplating going down that route if the ICC did not play ball. The ICC stayed mum. It usually does not interfere in such instances, as those invested in Indian cricket will know all too well.

In November 2001, Mike Denness, the former England captain, slapped a one-Test ban on Virender Sehwag for dissent, a suspended one-Test ban on Sachin Tendulkar for ‘acting’ on the match ball, suspended one-Test bans on Harbhajan Singh, Shiv Sundar Das and Deep Dasgupta for dissent and a suspended one-Test and two-ODI ban on skipper Sourav Ganguly for breaching the spirit of the game and bringing the game into disrepute after the Port Elizabeth Test against South Africa. Ganguly apart, the others were also fined 75% of their match fee. An incensed Board of Control for Cricket in India chose to go ahead with the third Test in Centurion without Denness, roping in Australian Denis Lindsay as the match referee. The ICC insisted the ‘Test’ would count for nothing; it’s perhaps the only instance of a team that lost the match insisting that it was an official Test and the side that won under no illusion that it was an unofficial outing.

Their bluff called, Pakistan are contemplating their next course of action. Their churlish move to cancel, at the last minute, a scheduled pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, ahead of their Wednesday night battle against UAE, is said to be the fallout of the ICC ignoring their ‘oust Pycroft’ call, though it is hard to see how that can be construed as a protest. It is more likely that they were apprehensive about the line of questioning with regard to the developments of the last couple of days. Evidently, queries would have been raised on what the team makes of the continued presence of Pycroft (as things stand, he will oversee the UAE-Pakistan game), whether they did consider a boycott and what their position is now that the ICC has thrown out their protest. Uncomfortable questions, so best avoided?

In a post-midnight WhatsApp communication, PCB spokesperson Aamir Mir informed Pakistan newspersons that the PCB was yet to take a final decision regarding the Asia Cup. “Consultations are underway in this regard and a final decision will be taken by tomorrow (Wednesday),” the message read. “The decision will be taken keeping in mind the interest of Pakistan.” In a tacit, roundabout way, the PCB has conceded that a boycott is still not off the table.

The last hasn’t been heard of this saga under whose shadow the tournament will be played for the next 11 days. If, as expected, Pakistan defeat UAE, another showdown with India looms on Sunday. What more tricks do Pakistan have up their sleeve, before, during and after the UAE encounter?

Click here to read article