The International Cricket Council (ICC) has received a formal complaint from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the on-field gestures made by Pakistani cricket players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan during last Sunday’s Asia Cup Super Fours match in Dubai.
The ICC has acknowledged receiving the complaint, which was submitted by the BCCI via email on Wednesday, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Match referee Richie Richardson is likely to preside over an ICC tribunal if Rauf and Farhan submit written denials of the accusations. The other match referee for the competition is Andy Pycroft.
According to reports, the incidences in consideration include Rauf’s gestures towards a group of spectators while fielding on the boundary line and Farhan’s celebration after hitting his half-century. Since the game, both of these instances have been extensively shared on social media.
It is also believed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has submitted a counter-complaint against Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav to the ICC, although this has not been verified. Given the delicate nature of cross-border relations, Yadav’s decision to dedicate India’s victory over Pakistan in the first round on September 14 to the relatives of the Pahalgam terror incident victims in April of this year exacerbated tensions.
“I want to dedicate the victory to all of our brave military personnel. Suryakumar remarked during the presenting event, “I hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile.”
Incidents that occurred prior to and following the game also brought attention to this fixture. The two leaders did not shake hands during the toss, and the players did not exchange traditional greetings at the conclusion of the game.
Since then, the incident—dubbed “handshake-gate”—has continued to be discussed throughout the continental competition. Additionally, the PCB has claimed that Yadav’s post-match comments have political overtones.
There were a number of intense on-field altercations during the tournament’s second encounter between the bitter rivals. Notably, Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill got into a verbal altercation with Pakistani fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Rauf.
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