Asia Cup 2025: ICC penalises several Pakistan, India players
DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday found two players each from Pakistan and India guilty of breaching its code of conduct during the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September.
According to the apex cricket body, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan and India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah were found guilty of similar offences in three Pakistan-India matches at the continental tournament following hearings conducted by members of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.
Notably, Rauf was fined 30 per cent of his match fee, besides being handed over two demerit points for a breach of Article 2.21 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to conduct that brings the game into disrepute, in the group-stage clash against arch-rivals India. The right-arm speedster was again found guilty of the same offence in the historic final against India and was thus fined 30 per cent of his match fee, while receiving two more demerit points. In total, four demerit points have been added to Rauf’s disciplinary record, which resulted in the pacer being suspended for Pakistan’s first two home ODIs against South Africa on November 4 and 6, respectively.
The ICC also reprimanded Pakistan’s top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan for the same breach. He was issued an official warning, in addition to receiving one demerit point. India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who made political remarks following India’s victory over Pakistan in the group-stage fixture, has also been penalised by the ICC for the same offence. He was fined 30 per cent of his match fee, while one demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record.
Bumrah, who made a controversial gesture after taking a wicket in the blockbuster final on September 28, accepted the offence, which resulted in one demerit point. Meanwhile, India’s Arshdeep Singh was found “not guilty” of an alleged breach of Article 2.6, which pertains to using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting, and therefore no sanction was imposed. Notably, the left-arm pacer made controversial gestures during India’s Super Four match against Pakistan on September 21. Web Desk
