Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has come out in strong defense of match referee Andy Pycroft, criticizing the Pakistan cricket team for blaming him after the post-match handshake controversy at the Asia Cup 2025. Following India’s group-stage victory, the Indian players reportedly chose not to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, a decision believed to be linked to recent geopolitical tensions after the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Ashwin, a senior player and off-spinner for the Indian team, voiced his strong disapproval of Pakistan’s official complaint to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the ICC. In a video on his YouTube show, “Ash Ki Baat,” he accused the Pakistani team of unfairly targeting Pycroft and creating a spectacle.
“Andy Pycroft actually saved everybody from seeing such a poor spectacle,” Ashwin said. “India informed the match referee in advance — this is our decision, and we will follow it. That’s it. After all this drama, you lost the match. So what are you complaining about? You didn’t lose because we didn’t shake hands. Please go and find out what you can actually improve.”
Targeting the Match Referee
Pakistan further escalated the issue by allegedly recording a closed-door meeting with Pycroft and leaking the footage, a move now under investigation by the ICC. Ashwin found this action baffling, questioning why Pycroft was being made a “scapegoat.”
He argued that Pycroft’s role is not to force players into a handshake, likening him to a professional official, not a “schoolteacher.” “He can’t go and bring Surya and say, ‘Come shake hands.’ That’s not his job. What exactly is Pycroft’s fault here?” Ashwin stated.
The Indian off-spinner explained that the Indian players were simply following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He compared this to following organizational protocol in any professional setting, stating that the players were clear in their stance and communicated it accordingly.
‘Who Owes an Apology?’
Ashwin was particularly scathing about Pakistan’s demand for an apology from Pycroft. He flipped the narrative, suggesting that if anyone should be apologizing, it’s Pakistan.
“If I were Andy Pycroft, you are apologizing to me. What would I even be apologizing for? ‘I’m sorry that Suryakumar Yadav didn’t shake your hand’? Really? That’s the apology you expect?” he said. He concluded his remarks by asserting that Pycroft did nothing wrong and that the Pakistani team should instead focus on their performance.
With India and Pakistan set to face off again in the Super Four stage, Ashwin’s comments reflect the Indian camp’s desire to focus on the game and move past the off-field controversy.