'Let the Asia Cup go to hell, let the ICC go to hell': Ex-PCB chairman reveals inside details of Asia Cup boycott threat

Former PCB chief Najam Sethi disclosed that Pakistan nearly boycotted their Asia Cup match against UAE due to tensions sparked by Indian players' refusal to shake hands. The PCB demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, threatening to withdraw from the tournament. The PCB chairmen convened on September 17 to discuss the possibility of pulling out.

File photo of Najam Sethi. (AP Photo)

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi has revealed insider details about the dramatic events of September 17 during the Asia Cup. Pakistan nearly pulled out of their match against UAE due to tensions that began when Indian players refused post-match handshakes with Pakistan players on September 14. The situation escalated when PCB demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft and threatened to boycott the tournament. The crisis reached its peak just before the Pakistan-UAE match. PCB officials told their players to stay at the stadium because they objected to Pycroft being the match referee. This caused a delay in the match start time.

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Sethi, who was involved in resolving the situation, shared his perspective on Samaa TV. "The decision was already taken. The mood was such that, 'under public pressure, let's boycott. Let the Asia Cup go to hell, let the ICC go to hell.' My attitude has always been that you should stay within legal boundaries and not leave the international arena. When I was called, my friends told me, 'Don't go, don't support him.' I hadn't gone to support Mr. Mohsin Naqvi. I went to help the Pakistan Cricket Board," he said.WATCH: Najam Sethi reveals what happened in PCB office on September 17 He warned about serious consequences if Pakistan had withdrawn. "If what he was attempting had succeeded, Pakistan would have suffered irreparable damage. We could have been sanctioned by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), penalised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), foreign players might have refused to play in the PSL, and we stood to lose $15 million in ACC broadcasting rights. It would have been an existential crisis for PCB. " The situation was finally resolved when Pakistan withdrew its threat to pull out. They claimed to have received an apology from Pycroft, who remained as referee despite Pakistan's objections. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, who had been part of the negotiations, informed PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi that Pycroft would continue as he had followed all rules. The initial dispute arose when PCB accused Pycroft of stopping Pakistan's captain Salman Ali Agha from shaking hands with India's Suryakumar Yadav and preventing them from exchanging team sheets during the toss.

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