Dubai, Sept 26: Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf and India captain Suryakumar Yadav have been fined 30 per cent of their match fees for separate offences during the ongoing Asia Cup, while Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan escaped with just a warning.
Rauf was penalised for rude and aggressive behaviour during the Super 4s clash against India last Sunday.
According to tournament sources, match referee Richie Richardson, after a hearing at the Pakistan team hotel on Friday, imposed the fine following a complaint lodged by the BCCI. Rauf was accused of mocking Indian fans in the stands with a provocative falling-plane gesture.
His teammate Farhan, meanwhile, avoided financial penalty despite being reported for his gun-shot style celebration after reaching his half-century in the same game. He was let off with a warning after pleading not guilty.
Both players were accompanied by team manager Naveed Akram Cheema at the hearing, though their official responses were submitted in writing.
On the Indian side, skipper Suryakumar was also fined 30 per cent of his match fee for comments made after the group stage win over Pakistan on September 14.
In his post-match remarks, he dedicated the victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian armed forces. Pakistan subsequently lodged a complaint with the ICC, terming the statement political in nature.
While Suryakumar pleaded not guilty, he was cautioned against making political references during the remainder of the tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, has appealed against the ICC’s verdict.
The disciplinary actions come against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the two rivals, who are scheduled to face each other again in the final on Sunday.
Earlier, India had refused to engage in the customary handshakes with Pakistani players as a mark of solidarity with the Pahalgam victims. (PTI)
