One week on from the controversy-surrounded Dubai International Stadium clash, India and Pakistan are again preparing for another Asia Cup 2025 Super Four encounter at the same venue. Ahead of it, Pakistan’s build-up took an unexpected twist as PCB chairman and ACC president Mohsin Naqvi stopped by the ICC Academy nets on Saturday to give the players a morale boost, with the board also launching a new stress-management program for the team.
Part of the plan involved bringing on motivational consultant Dr Raheel Ahmed, who came into the camp during the group stage and has been working one-on-one with players as well as small groups. He has been reported to have held one-on-one sessions with younger players, most of whom have had issues dealing with the psychological pressure of high-pressure India matches.
In the meantime, the team’s cancellation of its pre-match media conference for a second successive match has brought new questions on board regarding the camp’s mood. Last Sunday, Pakistan dithered to a seven-wicket loss to India, 128 all out and watching as the target was pursued in less than 16 overs. But the match was marred by the “no-handshake” row, with Indian players refusing to shake hands with their opponents. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav subsequently disclosed it was an act of solidarity with the families of the 26 victims of the Pahalgam terror attack in the first half of this year.
The incident enraged the PCB, which took referee Andy Pycroft to task after he had supposedly instructed the captains to forego the handshake at the toss. The board insisted he be removed and even threatened withdrawal from the tournament, though twice it was turned down by the ICC. Pakistan came close to pulling out entirely, with players restricted to their hotel prior to playing the UAE before clearance was received after a row back home. Eventually, they took to the field and won to advance into the Super Four.
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The tensions intensified after a clip of Pycroft’s pre-match dialogue with the Pakistan camp went viral online. The blacked-out video was perceived by the PCB as an apology, but the ICC quickly refuted that assertion, explaining that the referee’s aim was solely to dispel the India match misunderstanding. The governing body also issued a strong email to the PCB, citing “multiple breaches” of the PMOA protocol.
