Saved Pakistan from ICC penalty & INR 130 crore loss, says ex-PCB chief amid handshake gate

After Team India refused to shake hands with Pakistan, the PCB has threatened to pull out of the Asia Cup if the ICC doesn’t remove Andy Pycroft from the officials panel for the tournament.

Who knew refusal to shake hands would open a can of worms? The simple act of denying the customary post-match practice between India and Pakistan on September 14 had escalated to such an extent that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was willing to withdraw from their match against the UAE and the Asia Cup.

The PCB blamed the match referee for the India vs Pakistan game, Andy Pycroft, for the whole matter. They demanded his removal from the Asia Cup officials panel or else they’ll withdraw. But the truth was that PCB’s issue wasn’t with Pycroft but with looking weak.

It was the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that they had a gripe with. To prove a point, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi made a bombshell statement without thinking of the consequences. The PCB gets a 15% revenue share from the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) annual earnings.

PCB saved from ICC sanctions and monetary loss

Had they decided to withdraw, they may not have gotten the share. Which is estimated to be $15 million (approximately INR 132.10 crore). The broadcasters for the Asia Cup, Sony India, have complained to ACC. And Naqvi’s the current president of the ACC. So, he’ll be questioned directly by them for his decisions as PCB Chairman.

Then comes the fear of sanctions by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has shared that Naqvi was carried away in the heat of the moment and issued the threat. It was the former statesman who reminded him of the consequences of his action, and then Pakistan played against the UAE, albeit an hour later than scheduled.

“In the heat of the moment, Mohsin Naqvi had decided to withdraw from the Asia Cup. My friends told me, ‘Don’t go; don’t help them.’ I wasn’t even planning to help Naqvi. If what he was attempting had succeeded, Pakistan would have suffered irreparable damage along with an ICC penalty and $15 million,” Sethi told Samaa TV.

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