The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will appeal on behalf of Haris Rauf after the pacer was sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his on-field actions against India during the Super Four clash of the Asia Cup on Sunday.
This development comes just a day before the big-ticket final between India and Pakistan on September 28.
Rauf was reportedly fined 30 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of making inappropriate gestures towards Indian fans in the stands during the last Sunday’s clash in Dubai.
His teammate, Sahibzada Farhan, was also involved in objectionable conduct on the field. The Pakistani opener celebrated his half-century in the same match with a “gunfire celebration” using his bat.
Both Haris and Farhan appeared for an ICC hearing. While the latter escaped with a formal warning issued by ICC match referee Richie Richardson, the former was not spared and received a 30 per cent fine of his match fee.
India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, was also reportedly fined 30 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct. The PCB filed a complaint against Yadav over his post-match comments, which allegedly contained political undertones referencing the armed forces. Reports suggest that the BCCI has appealed against the sanction imposed on their captain.
In this year’s Asia Cup, tensions have often extended beyond the cricket field whenever these two sides have faced each other. Following their first Group A clash, the PCB reacted strongly to India’s ‘no-handshake’ policy with Pakistan, which they viewed as disrespectful. They appealed to the ICC for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, but the appeal was rejected. After the Super Four encounter, the players came under scrutiny for their actions and were fined following complaints made by both the BCCI and the PCB.
Now, both cricket boards have appealed in an attempt to protect their own players.
Dubai will host India and Pakistan for the third time in the ongoing Asia Cup, and for the first time ever in the final of the tournament on Sunday.
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