DUBAI: Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee for using “abusive language and aggressive gestures” during the Super Four clash against India in the ongoing Asia Cup, while team-mate Sahibzada Farhan was let off with a warning for his celebratory ‘gun-fire’ gesture, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported on Friday.
According to PTI, match referee Richie Richardson had completed his hearing on Friday afternoon at the team hotel.
“Haris Rauf has been fined 30 per cent of his match fees for aggressive behaviour and Sahibzada has been let off with a warning,” the agency quoted “a tournament source” as saying.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was also fined 30 per cent of his match fee after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint over his post-match comments following the group-stage encounter between the two sides.
Suryakumar, after India’s seven-wicket victory on September 14, had dedicated the win to the families of victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. The PCB argued that his remarks carried political undertones.
Although the Indian skipper pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Richardson on Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) cautioned him against making such remarks in the future.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had also filed complaints against Haris and Sahibzada for their conduct during the September 21 Super Four fixture.
Haris was accused of making “6-0” and “falling fighter jet” gestures besides engaging in a verbal exchange with Indian openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, while Sahibzada marked his fifty with a bat-wielding “machine gun” act.
PTI claimed that both Haris and Sahibzada pleaded not guilty at the hearing, where they were accompanied by Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema.
The disciplinary proceedings came after a series of complaints exchanged by the PCB and BCCI. Earlier, the PCB had accused match referee Andy Pycroft of violating protocol during the toss of the opening India-Pakistan fixture — a claim the ICC dismissed after review.
With both boards filing complaints within the stipulated seven-day window, they are now expected to appeal the match referee’s latest recommendations, further reflecting the strained relations between the two boards during the multi-nation event.
Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2025
