In a spectacular rise of the long-running India–Pakistan cricket competition, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally lodged a complaint with the ICC against Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan. The decision follows what the Indian team calls ‘provocative gestures’ made during their most recent Asia Cup game.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), now among the top 4 richest cricket boards in the world, meanwhile, has responded by counter-complaining against Suryakumar Yadav of India, claiming his statements strayed into politics. Haris Rauf is accused of mimicking an aeroplane being shot down during the game, a gesture much interpreted as a reference to Operation Sindoor and the falling from the Pahalgam terror attack. Indian support personnel say the gesture was accompanied by violent statements made against Indian batsmen.
Farhan, on his own, was seen celebrating a personal accomplishment with a gun-firing gesture, which the BCCI deems as offensive and inflammatory. He disregarded the gesture as a natural expression in interviews. “I did it in the moment; I didn’t think about how others would take it,” he said, noting that celebrations were not a common practice. Given cricket’s world platform, however, the BCCI argues that the matter cannot be ignored. By filing a complaint with the ICC, the BCCI has actually brought the disagreement into the governing realm.
Should the accusations be confirmed, both Pakistani players may be summoned before the ICC’s Elite Panel Referee, Richie Richardson, to respond. Failing to give adequate explanations could face penalties under the ICC’s code of conduct. From the Indian perspective, the move reflects a planned attempt to preserve the playing field from political undercurrents. Officials claim that such actions aggravate tensions beyond sport and damage the game’s spirit.
Having India won a prior Asia Cup game, Yadav accused the PCB of retaliating by accusing Suryakumar Yadav of injecting politics into cricket. Victory to Indian soldiers participating in Operation Sindoor also showed support for the victims of the Pahalgam assault. According to the PCB, this demonstrates that comments are political and beyond the authorized scope for players.
