Haris Rauf Handed Two-Match Ban over Asia Cup Conduct; Sanctions Also for Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah
More than a month after the conclusion of the Asia Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced disciplinary action against Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf for breaching the governing body’s code of conduct during the tournament.
According to an ICC statement released on its official website, Rauf has been handed a two-match suspension after violating Article 2.21 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to actions that bring the game into disrepute. As a result, the pacer will miss the first two matches of Pakistan’s ongoing home series against South Africa. The first match was played on Tuesday, while the second is scheduled for Wednesday.
Initially, the ICC stated that the incidents took place on 14 and 28 September, but it was later clarified that they occurred during the Super Four clash on 21 September and the final on 28 September. Rauf denied the charges, leading to a formal hearing. After accumulating four demerit points within a 24-month period, he automatically incurred a two-match suspension.
Details of the Incidents
On 21 September, during the Asia Cup Super Four match, Rauf was seen making a provocative “6-0” gesture towards Indian fans and performing a “plane-shooting down” motion — a gesture many Indian supporters claimed was an insult to their military.
In the same match, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, after scoring a fifty, made a “gun-firing” gesture using his bat. Following a complaint from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Farhan was issued a warning and one demerit point.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav was also penalised by the ICC. After India’s match against Pakistan on 14 September in Dubai, he dedicated the team’s victory to India’s armed forces — a remark that drew criticism from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for referencing military tensions between the two nations earlier in May. Consequently, Suryakumar received two demerit points.
Additionally, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah received one demerit point for an inappropriate gesture during the final, while teammate Arshdeep Singh was cleared after being accused of making an obscene signal.
Tense Atmosphere During the Asia Cup
All three encounters between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup were marked by intense rivalry and tension. Indian players notably refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after each of the three matches, an act that sparked further controversy.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha criticised the behaviour, saying, “It’s not in the spirit of the game.” In response, Suryakumar Yadav remarked, “Some things are bigger than sportsmanship.”
The episode deepened the diplomatic strain between the PCB and the BCCI, to the point where Pakistan reportedly considered withdrawing from the tournament.
For the first time in history, India and Pakistan met in the Asia Cup final, a thrilling contest that went down to the final over, with India emerging victorious. Yet the controversy did not end there. After the match, the Indian players refused to accept the trophy from PCB Chairman and Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi, leaving the presentation ceremony in disarray. India celebrated their triumph without the trophy, which, as reports indicate, they have still not received.
The incidents have reignited debates about sportsmanship, national symbolism, and the delicate political undertones that often overshadow India-Pakistan cricket encounters.