ICC acts on Indo-Pak Asia Cup skirmishes but BCCI appeals fine on SKY; Farhan gets warning

Dubai, Sep 26 (PTI) India captain Suryakumar Yadav was fined 30 per cent of his match fee for his comments on the Pahalgam terror attack, a sanction that the BCCI has appealed against, while Pakistan's Haris Rauf also copped a similar penalty in the ICC's disciplinary action amid increasing hostilities between the two feuding sides.

Another Pakistan player Sahibzada Farhan was handed a warning for his gun-fire celebration during last Sunday's Asia Cup match against India by match referee Richie Richardson after a hearing here on Friday.

"The ICC will not issue any official release on the sanctions till end of the tournament given the sensitivity of the matter," a tournament source said.

It could come on Monday, while the tournament final is scheduled to be played here on Sunday between the arch rivals, who have so far clashed twice in the ongoing event with India winning on both occasions.

The ICC was scheduled to issue a press release about the sanctions, but it was decided that the global body will wait till the end of the tournament.

It is understood that the BCCI doesn't agree with Richardson's assertion that Suryakumar has breached the Code of Conduct by standing for his country's Army and victims of terror attack.

"If the BCCI is unable to defend its captain, who stood by the Indian Army, it would be very poor optics. BCCI as an organisation shouldn't even accept a warning which would also mean that Surya is guilty," a source in the know of developments said.

Pakistan had filed a complaint against Suryakumar after he dedicated his team's win over the arch foes on September 14 to the victims of Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian armed forces.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge during his hearing on Thursday and was apparently told not to make any statement that could be construed as political in the remainder of the tournament.

Rauf, on the other hand, has been penalised for his provocative actions, which included use of "abusive language" and hand gestures to mock the falling of planes during the game on Sunday.

Rauf maintained that there was nothing political about his actions but they were nonetheless deemed "abusive and aggressive" by the match referee.

Farhan, on the other hand, also pleaded not guilty to any code of conduct violation, claiming that the gun-fire celebration that he did after his half century on Sunday is a "traditional way of celebrating in his ethnic Pakhtun tribe".

The Pakistani players' hearing was conducted by Richardson at their team hotel here.

Rauf and Farhan appeared before him in person even though the responses given by them were in writing. They were accompanied by team manager Naveed Akram Cheema.

Tensions between the two sides have been running high after India's refusal to do a traditional handshake with Pakistani players to show solidarity with the Pahalgam attack victims.

Twenty six people were killed in the attack at the tourism hub in Jammu and Kashmir that was carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists in April this year.

In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor in May to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan.

The diplomatic ties have since nose-dived with the Indian government coming out with a specific policy to bar any bilateral engagement with Pakistan even at neutral venues.

However, the government allowed the two teams to face off in multi-lateral competitions to adhere to the Olympic Charter.

But Pakistan refused to send its hockey team to the Asia Cup in India a few weeks ago citing security concerns despite the fact that India was willing to issue visas to its contingent.

During the ongoing tournament, the Pakistan Cricket Board had gone to the extent of blaming match referee Andy Pycroft for India's handshake refusal on September 14, insisting that the Zimbabwean prohibited the exchange of pleasantries between captains Suryakumar and Salman Ali Agha.

The PCB had threatened to pull out if Pycroft was not removed but the ICC refused to accept that demand. PTI KHS PM PM AH