Pycroft to officiate in India-Pakistan match

Pycroft to officiate in India-Pakistan match

Andy Pycroft will remain the match referee for the India-Pakistan clash in the ongoing Asia Cup on Sunday (September 21) at Dubai International Stadium. The ICC has informed the PCB of his appointment.

The ICC, after an inquiry, is unwilling to allow the integrity of its match officials to be questioned. "The integrity and credibility of a match official should never be questioned once a fair inquiry has exonerated him," said a source familiar with the developments.

Pycroft will also serve as the match referee for Pakistan's Super Four fixture against Bangladesh on September 25. West Indian Richie Richardson will officiate Pakistan's clash against Sri Lanka on September 23. The ICC has devised a system whereby Pycroft will oversee all matches in Dubai and Richardson will oversee the games in Abu Dhabi.

Pycroft will be the match referee for the India-Bangladesh game in Dubai on September 24, and the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh clash at the same venue on Saturday. The appointment for the final on September 28 in Dubai has not yet been made.

Match officials for the knockout matches are appointed based on their performances during the tournament. The ICC's stated policy is that such decisions must be centralised, leaving no role for member boards. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has emphasized that it is the parent body's responsibility to ensure match officials remain free from pressure or external influence.