A lot of drama and controversy has surrounded the Asia Cup 2025 in recent days, particularly following the match between India and Pakistan on Sunday. After India's refusal to shake hands with Pakistan, the latter demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from their next game against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). When that demand was denied, Pakistan threatened to pull out, before ultimately playing their game against UAE an hour later after confirming that they had released an apology from Pycroft. Amidst the chaos, reputed Indian broadcaster and commentator Harsha Bhogle has posted a cryptic post on social media.
"The lesson for all of us is that you must never issue an ultimatum you cannot enforce. It makes you look weak," Bhogle posted on his X account.
The lesson for all of us is that you must never issue an ultimatum you cannot enforce. It makes you look weak.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 17, 2025
On Wednesday, Pakistan looked set to pull out of their match against the UAE just an hour or two before the start of the contest.
However, the match was eventually delayed by one hour, with Pakistan deciding to play in the end, stating that they had received an apology from Pycroft.
For the uninitiated, Pycroft was the match referee when the no-handshake saga played out during the Asia Cup tie between India and Pakistan. Pycroft had seemingly advised Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha to not shake hands with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, after learning that the latter had no intention to do so.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC), demanding an apology from Pycroft as well as his removal from their next game. However, the ICC rejected Pakistan's demand, leading to Pakistan threatening to pull out of the tournament.
However, Pakistan ultimately did not pull out despite several reports that they were on the verge of doing so.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/iSnEX4D
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