According to ESPNcricinfo, the Indian captain and the Pakistani pacer have each been fined 30% of their match fees.
After being warned not to make “political comments,” Suryakumar Yadav has also been sanctioned by the ICC. The global cricketing body fined the Indian captain for breaching the code of conduct. Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf was fined for the same reason.
The ICC has yet to make an official announcement about the penalties. However, cricket website ESPNcricinfo reports that both players from the two rival nations have been docked 30% of their match fees.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally lodged a complaint against Suryakumar with the ICC, while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) filed complaints against Rauf and his teammate Sahibzada Farhan. Since all three pleaded not guilty, a formal hearing was held.
On Thursday in Dubai, Suryakumar appeared before match referee Richie Richardson. During the hearing, Richardson informed the Indian captain, “Any statement that can be interpreted as, presented as, or framed as a ‘political statement’ cannot be made in a cricketing context.” The match referee then imposed the fine on Suryakumar.
On Friday, Rauf and Farhan also faced hearings with Richardson. According to Cricinfo’s report, Pakistani opener Farhan was issued a warning but not fined.
Initially, reports suggested the PCB objected to Suryakumar’s comments during the post-match presentation after the India–Pakistan group-stage clash. The Indian captain had dedicated their win to the country’s armed forces and expressed solidarity with those affected by the Pahalgam terrorist attack and their families.
However, on Friday, Cricinfo reported that during the post-match press conference, Suryakumar also mentioned “Operation Sidur,” which directly entered political territory, drawing the PCB’s major objection.
The charges against Rauf and Farhan stemmed from their gestures during the Super Four clash with India. After scoring a fifty, Farhan mimicked firing a gun with his bat, while Rauf made a hand gesture toward a section of the crowd implying a plane suddenly being shot down.
The BCCI has appealed Suryakumar’s sanction. It is not yet clear if, or when, the appeal hearing will be held. Typically, the match referee sets the time and venue. If Suryakumar is still found guilty after the appeal, his punishment will be increased accordingly.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have run high since the group-stage match of the Asia Cup. On 14 September, during their first encounter of the tournament, Indian players sparked controversy by refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts. At one point, Pakistan even threatened to withdraw from the event, lodging a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft.
The PCB later stated that Pycroft had apologized. When an audio but not a video of that apology surfaced on social media, the ICC accused the PCB of breaching protocol.
Even during the Super Four, Indian players again refused to shake hands with the Pakistani team. Suryakumar’s side went on to crush their neighbors in both matches.
Now, the two sides are set to meet in the final. This Sunday in Dubai, India and Pakistan will face off in the first-ever India–Pakistan Asia Cup final.
