The Board of Control for Cricket in India has filed an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their provocative gestures during the Asia Cup Super 4s match on September 21. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board has lodged a complaint against Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav for his post-match comments on September 14 regarding the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.The ICC has received the complaint against Rauf and Farhan, filed on Wednesday. If the players deny the allegations in writing, they may face a hearing before ICC Elite Panel Referee Richie Richardson.
During the match, Rauf made gestures mimicking a jet plane crash to mock Indian military action after Indian fans chanted “Kohli, Kohli,” referencing Virat Kohli’s match-winning sixes against him at MCG during the 2022 T20 World Cup.Rauf also directed verbal abuse at Indian openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma during his bowling spell. The batters responded with their performance on the field.Sahibzada Farhan celebrated using his bat as a prop for a gun-firing gesture, which drew widespread criticism.“That celebration was just a moment at that time. I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring 50. But, it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that,” Farhan told reporters after the match.The PCB’s complaint against Suryakumar Yadav alleges his comments were “political” in nature. The complaint needs to have been filed within seven days of the comments being made.Both Rauf and Sahibzada will need to explain their actions at the ICC hearing and could face sanctions under the Code of Conduct if their explanations are found unsatisfactory.In the latest development, Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman and Interior Minister, posted a slow-motion video of Cristiano Ronaldo on social media platform X. The video shows Ronaldo making a gesture similar to Rauf’s plane crash indication, though it could be interpreted as demonstrating the trajectory of a free kick.The incident has drawn attention from both the BCCI and ICC officials. Questions remain about whether the Indian team, now Asia Cup finalists, will share the stage with the ACC Chairman.
