IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2025: Haris Rauf Fined 30% Match Fee for Aggressive Gesture, Farhan Escapes
Synopsis
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was fined 30% of his match fee for provocative gestures mocking the Indian Defence Forces during the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against India. Teammate Sahibzada Farhan received only a warning.
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has been fined 30 percent of his match fee for abuse and provocative gestures in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Team India on Sunday, September 21. Sahibzada Farhan did not face any sanctions from the International Cricket Council as he was left off with a warning.
On Friday, Rauf and Farhan attended the ICC hearing, presided over by match referee and former West Indies captain Richie Richardson, after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lodged a complaint against the Pakistan duo with the world governing body of cricket for provocative gestures, intending to mock the Indian Defence Forces, who successfully carried out Operation Sindoor.
The hearing of Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan took place just a day after the ICC match referee, Richie Richardson, conducted the hearing of Suryakumar Yadav after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed a complaint against India T20I skipper for dedicating Men in Blue’s group stage victory over Pakistan to the Pahalgam terror attack victims and the Indian Defence Forces for Operation Sindoor Success.
Haris Rauf’s Gesture ‘Rude and Aggressive’
According to the report by Press Trust of India (PTI), the International Cricket Council (ICC) declared its verdict on both Pakistan players, Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, after hearing both players. The match referee, Richie Richardson, declared Rauf’s on-field behaviour as aggressive and was fined 30% of his match fee.
Sahibzada Farhan, on the other hand, was not penalised by the ICC but rather reprimanded for his ‘gunshot’ celebration with his bat after completing fifty in the Super 4 clash against Team India.
“Match referee Richie Richardson had completed his hearing on Friday afternoon at the team hotel. Hars Rauf has been fined 30 percent of his match fees for aggressive behaviour, and Farhan has been let off with a warning," a source close to Asia Cup organizers told PTI.
During the hearing, Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan did not plead guilty for their provocative and controversial actions in the Asia Cup 2024 clash against Team India on Sunday. Farhan defended his gunshot celebration after completing by reportedly claiming that, ‘traditional way of celebrating in his ethnic Pakhtun tribe’ in Pakistan.
Farhan drags Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s name
During the ICC hearing, Sahibzada Farhan has reportedly dragged the names of Indian cricket legends, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, in order to justify his actions. According to the report by India Today, Farhan dismissed his ‘gunshot’ celebration as politically motivated, stating that he did not intend to send any political message.
However, the Pakistan opener cited the past examples of former Team India captains Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni had used similar gunshot-like celebration gestures. Sahibzada Farhan defended his celebration, stating that such gestures are normal in his region and are usually done during happy events, like weddings.
Sahibzada Farhan scored 58 off 45 balls to help Pakistan post a total of 171/5, but his effort went in vain as Team India chased down the 172-run target with 25 balls to spare.
The verdict by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan two days before the high-stakes Asia Cup 2025 Final against Team India sets the stage for a tense clash, with disciplinary actions underlining the importance of maintaining decorum on the field.
India and Pakistan are set to face off for the third time in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. In the last two matches, the Men in Blue secured convincing victories, boosting their confidence ahead of the high-stakes final against arch-rivals Pakistan.