They pulled out of a boycott after high level talks that involved the sport’s governing body as well as members of their own government.
They turned up late. They were pushed by some plucky underdogs from the UAE.
But, at the end of another bizarre day at the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai, Pakistan finally edged their way through to the Super Four.
Their next assignment? India at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday night. What could possibly go wrong?
In the end, Pakistan earned a top two finish in Group A because of something so prosaic as the UAE batters being unable to find ways to score against their spinners. That was the only semblance of normality about anything that went on.
For much of the afternoon it had seemed as though there might not be a match at all. At least the UAE kept with the normal programme, arriving the best part of two hours ahead of the scheduled 6.30pm start.
At the same time, Pakistan’s players were still at the team hotel, awaiting orders to move. They had been told not to travel to the ground until their board officials had resolved issues with the ICC over their ongoing dispute with India about handshakes - or lack, thereof.
Their grievance was the allegation that Andy Pycroft, the match referee, had suggested the two captains not shake hands ahead of the toss in the India v Pakistan match last Sunday.
As fans pondered whether to bother heading to the stadium, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, announced on social media at 5.30pm that they had instructed the team to go there.
It was subsequently announced there would be no forfeit, and the game would go ahead, albeit with a delayed start time of 7.30pm.
The Pakistan team bus pulled up outside the players’ entrance at around 6.30pm, and the players and staff barely spoke as they got out.
After the toss had happened, the Pakistan Cricket Board released a video of Pycroft meeting with Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha, coach Mike Hesson, as well as the ICC’s general manager of cricket Wasim Khan.
The video had no sound, but the post said: “ICC’s controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologised to the Pakistani cricket team's manager and the team’s captain.”
Agha and Muhammad Waseem, the UAE captain, shook hands at the toss, as is conventional.
Waseem won, and opted to bowl first, his reasoning being that the humidity might lead to dew, and thus making bowling second harder.
It felt bizarre to be thinking clearly about cricket tactics, given all the melodrama going on around. Even once play had started, it refused to abate.
Junaid Siddique opened up and bowled brilliantly against the country of his birth. He took 2-3 in the powerplay, and bookended the innings with a fine spell in the death overs too.
He ended with 4-18 – his second four-wicket haul in the space of three days, having done similarly against Oman in Abu Dhabi.
Between him and Simranjeet Singh, who took three wickets, the UAE were able to limit Pakistan to 146-9 from their 20 overs.
All of which felt something of a sideshow. While his team had been batting, back home at the PCB’s headquarters in Lahore, Naqvi had been holding a press conference giving his side of what had gone on.
“Just a short while back, the match referee had a conversation with the team coach, captain and manager,” Naqvi told reporters outside the Gaddafi Stadium.
“He said that this [handshake] incident should not have happened. We had also requested the ICC earlier to set up an inquiry into the code violation during the match.
“We believe that politics and sports can’t go together. This is sport, and let it remain a sport. Cricket should be separate from all this.”
Naqvi was flanked by two other former PCB chairmen, Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja.
“They played politics, we didn’t,” Sethi said. “We demanded an apology, and they have given the apology. Cricket is the winner.
“The world will support our stand, and you are all seeing the world’s reaction to India’s stand.”
Meanwhile, back at the cricket in Dubai, proceedings continued to edge towards farce.
As the UAE were trying to temper the loss of three quick wickets in the run chase, the game was interrupted when Ruchira Palliyaguruge, the umpire, needed a concussion check.
He was hit on the head when the ball was being relayed to the bowler, Saim Ayub, by Pakistan’s fielders, and had to be replaced.
All the while, the UAE were losing pace in their run chase. As the runs required mounted, so the wickets fell. They were eventually bowled out of 105 to lose by 41 runs, meaning another summit meeting between the competition’s two biggest rivals this weekend.
