Asia Cup: Pakistan arrive for UAE game after day long drama; ICC rejects demand for Pycroft removal
Dubai (PTI): Pakistan was forced to climb down from its pullout threat and show up for a crucial Asia Cup game against the UAE here on Wednesday but not before causing a dramatic delay after the ICC's persistent rejection of its demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft.
The team had earlier refused to leave its hotel for the must-win group match as Pycroft will officiate the game that will now start at 9pm IST instead of the original 8pm start.
Teams are required to report at the stadium two hours before the start of the game which Pakistan failed to do in protest.
That Pycroft would remain match referee was communicated to PCB chairman and Asian Cricket Council head Mohsin Naqvi by ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta in a conference call.
The ICC maintained that the Zimbabwean will remain in charge as he has followed the rules and regulations to the 'T'.
Pakistan had held Pycroft responsible for the embarrassment it faced after its captain Salman Ali Agha and India skipper Suryakumar did not exchange a handshake and their team sheets during the toss on Sunday.
The PCB said that Pycroft had told Salman to avoid a handshake with Suryakumar and told the two captains to not exchange team sheets.
The Indian players did not shake hands with the rivals even after the match as a mark of solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
On Wednesday, once the Pakistan team didn't leave from the Grosvenor Hotel in Dubai, it was evident that the deadlock continued after the rejection of a second PCB complaint by the ICC.
Pycroft himself was present at the Dubai International Stadium and left the venue surrounded by bodyguards after he was called to the ICC Headquarters just a kilometer away from the ground.
The ICC gave a six-point rebuttal in which maintained that the PCB's complaints were baseless.
The ICC in its written communication stated: "The ICC's investigation was conducted on the basis of the information provided in the report lodged by the PCB. We took the report at Face value and note that no supporting documentation or evidence was provided with it.
"The PCB had every opportunity to submit statement from its team members alongside the initial report but chose not to do so."
The second point stated that there was "no case to answer" on the part of match referee.
"The actions that match referee took was, following clear directions to him from ACC (Asian Cricket Council) Venue Manager, were consistent with how a match referee will deal with such an issue, communicated as it was with no time for him to do anything else (minutes before the toss)."
The ICC in its third pointer was clear that Pycroft was committed to "preserving the sanctity of the toss and avoiding any potential embarrassment that might have arisen. "
"The Match Referee was not at fault in any of this."
"It is not the role of the Match Referee to regulate ay team or tournament specific protocols which have been agreed outside of the area of play, that is a matter for the tournament organizers and relevant team managers," the ICC added.
The conclusion was a terse one where the ICC brass wondered if "...the PCB's real concern or complain relates to the actual decision that handshakes didn't take place."
"The PCB should therefore direct those complaint to the tournament organiser and those who took the actual decision (which was not the Match Referee). The ICC doesn't have a role in that."
In a nutshell, ICC actually put the ball back in "ACC chairman" Mohsin Naqvi and Tournament Director Andy Russell's court.
The PCB can lose up to USD 16 million if they don't play the tournament. Naqvi took advice from two former PCB chairmen -- Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi -- before deciding that the team would continue.
It is not known what transpired in that meeting but soon after Naqvi took to 'X' and announced.
"We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Further details to follow." The team left the venue soon after that.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
