Pakistan have cancelled their scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of the Super Fours game against India on Sunday, 21 September, in the Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025. According to the Asian Cricket Council’s schedule, a Pakistan player or member of the coaching staff was expected to speak to the media at 6:00pm local time on Saturday, followed by a three-hour training session at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Training, however, is reported to be going ahead as planned.
The reason for the cancellation remains unclear. This marks the second consecutive match in which Pakistan have skipped their customary pre-match media duties. They also declined to hold a press conference ahead of their must-win game against the UAE, amid lingering controversy from the handshake incident involving match referee Andy Pycroft.
Pycroft has been confirmed as the match referee for the India–Pakistan game. In the days following the toss controversy, the ICC organised a meeting between Pycroft and Pakistan’s coach, captain, media, and team managers, during which Pycroft expressed regret for how the events at the toss had unfolded. During that match, he instructed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with India captain Suryakumar Yadav. Pakistan viewed this as a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct and demanded Pycroft’s immediate removal from the tournament.
The meeting before the UAE game appeared to placate the PCB, which released a brief, silent video of the apology, stating that Pycroft had expressed his regrets. The ICC reportedly objected to the video, citing a breach of protocol in filming within the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA), although there is no official record of Pakistan responding to the ICC’s notice.
India, meanwhile, will not hold a press conference on Saturday either. Following standard practice for teams playing with only a day’s gap between matches, India held an embargoed press conference after their victory over Oman on Friday night, previewing their clash with Pakistan.
Sunday’s game will be the first Super Fours fixture for both sides.
