Tensions between India and Pakistan are still simmering after the Asia Cup Super 4 match in Dubai last Sunday. India has officially complained to the ICC about Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan. The BCCI sent the complaint on Wednesday and the ICC has confirmed they received it.
The issue? India says Rauf and Farhan made provocative gestures during the match. If they deny the charges in writing, the ICC will hold a hearing. They might even have to explain themselves to ICC Elite Panel Referee Richie Richardson.
But that’s not all. Word is the PCB is filing a counter complaint. They’re targeting Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav for speaking out in support of those affected by the Pahalgam terror attack and dedicating his team’s win to the Indian Armed Forces involved in Operation Sindoor. He made these comments after the game on September 14.
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The PCB is calling Surya’s statements political. To be valid, this complaint has to be filed within 7 days of the comments. It’s not clear when the PCB filed it.
What did Rauf and Farhan do? In the September 21 match, Rauf seemed to make a gesture of shooting down a plane. This was after Indian fans chanted Kohli, Kohli. The fans were referring to a T20 World Cup match in 2022 when Kohli hit Rauf for two match-winning sixes at the MCG. Rauf also allegedly swore at Indian openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma while bowling and the two hit back with runs.
As for Sahibzada, he celebrated by pretending his bat was a machine gun during the same match. This has drawn a lot of flak.
Farhan spoke about the controversy after the match: That was just a moment. I don’t usually celebrate after scoring 50 but that day it just came to me to celebrate. I did that and I don’t care how people take it.
Both Rauf and Sahibzada will get a chance to explain themselves at the ICC hearing. If the ICC isn’t convinced by their explanations, they could face penalties as per the ICC code of conduct.
