Is Andy Pycroft Really Biased Towards India? Busting Ramiz Raja's Outrageous Claim

Ramiz Raja exposed over false claims [Source: @dhillow_, @prashant10gaur/X.com]

Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has ignited a fresh storm in the Asia Cup 2025 by striking out at ICC match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of bias in favour of India. Raja claims Pycroft has officiated in 90+ India matches and suggested this frequency undermines his neutrality.

The controversy stems largely from the recent India vs Pakistan match held in Dubai.  After Indian players refused to shake hands following their clash, the Pakistani board alleged that Pycroft prevented Pakistan captain Salman Agha from completing the customary handshake at the toss. Pakistan described it as "misconduct" of the highest order.

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Ramiz Raja Needs To Get His Facts Right ASAP

The PCB demanded that Andy Pycroft be removed from the remainder of the Asia Cup 2025. But the ICC rejected the demand. Despite this, Ramiz Raja has continued to publicly question Pycroft’s fairness. 

In a press conference held in Lahore, he said Pycroft is ‘India’s favourite’, as he has seen him officiate in India’s fixture more than any other international team.

Andy Pycroft's Record As ICC Match Referee

However, the one thing Raja forgot to do was get his facts right. As per official ICC data, Andy Pycroft has officiated in a total of 535 men’s international matches, out of which 124 matches involved India, 102 involved Pakistan and 107 involved England.

Moreover, Pycroft also officiated as match referee in 135 matches involving South Africa and 132 games involving Sri Lanka.

Only if Raja had even cared to take a glimpse at these stats, he wouldn’t have to go through such high-level embarrassment.

Moreover, having refereed many of a team’s games doesn’t automatically indicate bias. Match referees are assigned by the ICC, and their appointments often reflect availability, seniority, and rotation.

The ICC has so far rejected PCB’s request to remove Pycroft, signalling they believe there’s no strong evidence to act on yet.While PCB claims the referee has apologised and will be investigated, ICC is yet to put out any confirmation. 

In conclusion, Pakistan have shot itself in the foot over hollow boycott threats. After all the drama and delay, they ended up playing against the UAE with Andy Pycroft carrying out his duties as match referee as usual.

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