Andy Pycroft

Cricket's governing body has deemed pitches at Lord's and Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium "unsatisfactory," awarding one demerit point to each. Lord's offered excessive seam movement and low bounce, while Lahore's surface proved too slow and low for an ODI. Both cricket boards have 14 days to appeal these sanctions.

Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium has been handed one demerit point by the ICC for an "unsatisfactory" pitch during the Pakistan-Australia ODI, deemed too slow and spin-friendly. Similarly, Lord's in London received a demerit point for excessive seam movement and variable bounce in the England-New Zealand Test. Both venues now face potential suspensions if further demerit points are accumulated.

Pakistan threatened to withdraw from the Asia Cup after a perceived slight during the India-Pakistan match, claiming that India captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistani counterpart Salman Ali Agha. The Pakistan Cricket Board said match referee Andy Pycroft apologised for miscommunication. But did he? We fact check that claim.

A major standoff threatened Pakistan's Asia Cup 2025 match against UAE after the ICC refused to replace match referee Andy Pycroft, despite PCB objections over his handling of the 'no-handshake' controversy with India. Initial uncertainty saw Pakistan delaying their departure for the game, and the ACC even deleted posts about the match.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement that ICC match referee Andy Pycroft apologized for the "no-handshake" incident during the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match, saying that it happened due to miscommunication. Earlier, the PCB formally requested Pycroft's replacement for their subsequent match, a request that was denied. Pycroft is the match referee for the game, leaving Pakistan in an embarrassing spot.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has defended match referee Andy Pycroft, criticising Pakistan for creating unnecessary controversy over the handshake issue after India's Asia Cup win. Ashwin highlighted that India had informed the referee in advance about their decision to avoid handshakes, accusing Pakistan of unfairly targeting Pycroft and demanding his removal.

The Asia Cup T20 is set to begin with Richie Richardson and Andy Pycroft leading the match referees panel. The ACC has announced the officials for the group stage, featuring umpires from India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Pycroft will be the match referee for the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match on September 14 in Dubai.

Following India's victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup, a controversy arose when the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, declined to shake hands, dedicating their win to the armed forces after a terror attack in Pahalgam. The PCB filed a complaint with the ICC, alleging the match referee instructed captains against shaking hands and demanding his removal.

Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has accused ICC match referee Andy Pycroft of bias towards India, citing his frequent appointments for Indian matches. This follows a handshake controversy after a heated India-Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup in Dubai. The PCB alleged Pycroft prohibited handshakes, a claim the ICC refutes, attributing the issue to a venue manager's error.

Former cricketer Rashid Latif criticises the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) approach to the handshake controversy, arguing they are misdirecting their focus by targeting match referee Andy Pycroft. Latif emphasises that a handshake isn't mandatory according to ICC regulations.

The Asia Cup witnessed turmoil as Pakistan protested the alleged 'no handshake' directive before their match against India. Initially threatening to boycott their game against UAE and demanding a referee change, Pakistan eventually relented after ICC intervention.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is threatening to withdraw from their Asia Cup 2025 match against the UAE if the ICC doesn't remove match referee Andy Pycroft. This follows a controversy where the Indian team refused to shake hands with Pakistan after their previous match, leading to displeasure from Pakistani captain Salman Agha and coach Mike Hesson.

Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough are set to officiate as on-field umpires for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad. Both Illingworth and Kettleborough, who ascended to the ICC International List on the same day in November 2009, served as on-field umpires during this week’s gripping semi-finals. Illingworth oversaw India’s win against New Zealand, while Kettleborough officiated Australia’s thrilling victory over South Africa.

Match referee Andy Pycroft, previously embroiled in an Asia Cup handshake controversy, received a warm welcome at the India vs West Indies 1st Test. Shubman Gill, making his home debut as India's Test captain, saw West Indies win the toss and bat first. The match began smoothly, free from any past drama.

Chris Gaffaney from New Zealand and Richard Illingworth from England will officiate the Champions Trophy semifinal between India and Australia. Michael Gough is the third umpire, and Andy Pycroft will be the match referee. For the second semifinal, Kumar Dharmasena and Paul Reiffel are the on-field umpires, with Joel Wilson as third umpire and Ranjan Madugalle as match referee.

A lot of noise was made when the official broadcaster of India's tour of Sri Lanka posted a video on their YouTube channel which raised doubts over the winner of the toss in the one-off T20I between the two teams in Colombo on Wednesday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the umpire lineup for the upcoming World Cup semifinals. Rod Tucker and Richard Illingworth will officiate the first match between India and New Zealand in Mumbai on November 15, followed by Nitin Menon and Richard Kettleborough for the second semi-final between Australia and South Africa in Kolkata on November 16. Illingworth, who officiated in the 2019 World Cup semifinal, will also be on-field. Joel Wilson will be the third umpire, Adrian Holdstock will be the fourth, and Andy Pycroft will be the match referee.

Amidst controversy, ICC match referee Andy Pycroft may be replaced for the Pakistan-UAE match following PCB's complaint regarding his conduct during the India game, which led to a "no-handshake" issue. The PCB demanded Pycroft's removal from the Asia Cup, threatening to pull out of the tournament.

During Day 3 of the second Test, India needed a dose of adrenaline and needed it urgently and they found the answer in Ishant, who charged in with an old ball.

Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Pycroft has become the fourth official to officiate 100 Test matches as a match referee, marking the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia in Melbourne. Pycroft, who has also overseen numerous ODIs and T20Is, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to officiate internationally and embrace different cultures.