CHENNAI: Once again there was high drama before the start of Pakistan's game against UAE on Wednesday. The team stayed put at the team hotel as they continued to demand for match referee's ouster from their match. However, after Pakistan Cricket Board officials had meetings with International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) the issue was resolved.
The PCB claimed that match referee Andy Pyrcroft apologised for his involvement during the handshake drama at the toss before the game between India and Pakistan. What made matters more complicated was that India did not shake hands even after their comprehensive win against their arch rivals on Sunday.
However, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif felt the team from his country should continue playing in the tournament. "They should play in the tournament. The next World Cup is in India, if Pakistan walk out of the Asia Cup then everything will be over," Latif told this daily.
The former wicketkeeper-batter said India-Pakistan rivalry might have lost some sheen of late but the contest is still one of the biggest revenue generators. Latif, however, said if such controversies happen every time the two arch-rivals face each other then the two teams should stop playing.
Speaking on the handshake row that marred the India-Pakistan clash, the first since the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor thereafter, Latif believed the Pakistan Cricket Board adopted the wrong approach and should have reported Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav's speech during the post-match presentation. "Instead of reporting alleged misconduct of match referee Andy Pycroft, the PCB should have raised a flag on Surya's speech after the match. Had they reported, a hearing would have been conducted. Either Pycroft should have reported it and if he had not then the PCB team manager could have done that. Afterall the match was being played within the laws of the game."
Latif also asserted that the PCB could never have left the tournament midway despite the reported threat by the board. "They cannot do that (walk out) midway through the tournament. There are several factors like TV rights, broadcasters and others. There is everybody's stake in it. Anyway appointments in cricket boards are political appointments. A chairman is not well versed with playing rules and regulations. After making threats, he must have been apprised of the rules," Latif suggested.
He also cited past incidents when both teams played despite tensions off the field. "We also played in such situations but it has never happened that we didn't shake hands. Not only that, we even sat in each other's rooms after the matches. This time by not doing handshakes, a wrong precedent has been set," he concluded.