Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan have been called to an ICC hearing on Friday after the BCCI complained about their aggressive gestures on the field during the India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup Super Four match on September 21. This was confirmed by tournament sources to media.
India’s protest points out Rauf’s gestures that made fun of India’s military actions and his use of bad language toward openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. It also mentions Sahibzada’s contentious “gun-firing” celebration with his bat. Farhan later justified the action, saying it was spontaneous and ignoring the criticism.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly filed a complaint against Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav in response. The PCB says that Surya’s comments on India’s group-stage triumph on September 14 were “political” because he dedicated the win to the Indian Armed Forces who were involved in Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam terror assault.
However, the timeliness of PCB’s protest could be questioned because ICC regulations say that complaints must be made within seven days of the event.
If Rauf and Farhan can’t explain what they did at the hearing, they could be punished under the ICC Code of Conduct.