Dubai, Sep 17
The 2025 Asia Cup clash between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been delayed by an hour, with the match now set to begin at 7:30 PM local time (9:00 PM IST) at the Dubai International Stadium.
The toss will take place at 7:00 PM local (8:30 PM IST), tournament organisers confirmed on Monday evening after the Pakistan team caused drama by initially refusing to take the team bus to travel to the stadium.
Pycroft was the referee in the high-voltage India–Pakistan clash earlier in the tournament, which ended in acrimony after the two teams walked off without shaking hands.
The PCB squarely blamed the Zimbabwean official, claiming he had advised skipper Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and even blocked the customary exchange of team sheets.
The board further argued: “Given the gravity, political nature/ background, and far-reaching consequences and repercussions, the misconduct has also caused disrepute to the game.”