Pakistan’s Final Group Match Postponed Amid Asia Cup Withdrawal Speculation

Due to growing rumours of the team's withdrawal, Pakistan's final Asia Cup group stage match against the United Arab Emirates has been postponed by one hour.

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By Emilia Blake
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Pakistan’s Final Group Match

Photograph: (Source: The Federal)

Pakistan wants to immediately withdraw from the ACC Men's Asia Cup 2025. For more talks to formalise their position, their September 17 match against the United Arab Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium has been postponed by one hour. To make a final verdict on the matter, Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the PCB and ACC, is speaking with previous PCB executives. 

Tensions involving match referee Andy Pycroft cast doubt on Wednesday's contest, which was set for 6:30 p.m. local time at the Dubai International Stadium. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) alluded to a possible withdrawal from the competition, indicating that a decision will be made on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s Final Group Match Updates:

If withdrawn, Muhammad Waseem's team will receive the match and the points associated with it, and the Pakistan vs. UAE match in Group A will be forfeited. They will also become the second team from the group to go to the Super Fours, after India did so fairly recently, after winning the event back-to-back so far.

The tension comes after the India-Pakistan match, which generated a lot of talk due to Pakistan's refusal to shake hands with Indian players. Later, the PCB accused Pycroft of telling the captains not to shake hands during the toss and filed a complaint against him with the ICC. Whether Pakistan advances to the tournament's Super Four stage depends on the outcome of the match.

The UAE chose to bowl first in front of match referee Andy Pycroft at the toss, which took place in accordance with the revised schedule. Haris Rauf and Khushdil Shah, who had missed the first two games, were added to the playing XI by PAK captain Agha, who also announced a few other changes to the team.

Watch this space for more cricket news and updates.

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