Pakistan threatened to boycott their Asia Cup 2025 group stage match in opposition to the UAE following the no-handshake controversy with the Indian group. Former PCB chief Najam Sethi has revealed the board’s temper after the controversy, because it contemplated a boycott.
The Asia Cup 2025 has been marred with controversy ever for the reason that India vs Pakistan conflict within the league stage. With India refusing a handshake with their Pakistani counterparts over the latest tensions between the 2 neighbours, following the Pahalgam terror assault and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Cricket Board has been miffed.
The PCB threatened to tug out of their league stage recreation in opposition to the UAE, which might have in the end ended their Asia Cup marketing campaign, of their protest in opposition to the match referee, Andy Pycroft. The Pakistani Board wished the elimination of Pycroft, as they accused him of denying the handshakes between the 2 captains on the toss.
Nonetheless, the ICC rejected their demand and cleared him of getting a task within the handshake-gate. PCB made a giant drama on their match day in opposition to the UAE, first not sending their group to the bottom, then finally agreeing to play after a delayed begin.
In the meantime, the previous PCB chairman, Najam Sethi, revealed the temper of the Pakistan Board on the day of the match when the board had contemplated a boycott.
“The choice was already taken. The temper was such that, ‘underneath public strain, let’s boycott. Let the Asia Cup go to hell, let the ICC go to hell.’ My perspective has all the time been that you must keep inside authorized boundaries and never depart the worldwide enviornment. After I was known as, my pals advised me, ‘Don’t go, don’t assist him.’ I hadn’t gone to assist Mr. Mohsin Naqvi. I went to assist the Pakistan Cricket Board,” Sethi advised Pakistan’s Samaa TV.
“If what he was trying had succeeded, Pakistan would have suffered irreparable harm. We may have been sanctioned by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), penalized by the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC), overseas gamers may need refused to play within the PSL, and we stood to lose $15 million in ACC broadcasting rights. It could have been an existential disaster for PCB.