Pakistan’s cricket match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Asia Cup was delayed by an hour amid uncertainty about the fixture as Pakistani officials deliberated pulling out of the tournament as a mark of protest.

The match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium began at 7:30pm local time (15:30 GMT) on Wednesday, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) reached an agreement on Andy Pycroft’s assignment as match referee following his role in the “ no handshake ” row involving India three days earlier.

“The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” the PCB said in a statement released minutes before the toss for the Pakistan-UAE fixture.

“Andy Pycroft termed the Septe

See Full Page