India, Sept. 17 -- The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Wednesday, put an end to the handshake saga once and for all after the apex body gave its final verdict to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the Andy Pycroft situation. PCB had written to the ICC twice, demanding the removal of the Zimbabwean from the panel of match referees for the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, blaming him for the handshake fiasco in the match between India and Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai, and faced a rejection on both occasions.

PCB felt Pycroft sparked the no-handshake controversy when he asked the two captains not to shake hands at the toss. The Pakistan team manager later wrote to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), accusing the 69-year-old of "misconduct of the...