Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan appeared before the ICC match referee on Friday to answer India’s complaint. The complaint accused them of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the Asia Cup match against India. Both players denied the allegations and defended their actions strongly. They also submitted written responses to match referee Richie Richardson.
India objected to two separate incidents during the high-stakes match. Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his half-century with a mock gun gesture using his bat. Meanwhile, Haris Rauf made a “crashing plane” gesture near the boundary, allegedly in response to Indian crowd taunts. The BCCI claimed these actions were provocative and politically charged.
Read more: India protests Haris Rauf’s ‘0-6’ gesture to ICC
Sources say Farhan explained that his celebration had no political intent. He said it was a traditional gesture from Pashtun culture. He stressed that he did not target India in any way. Haris Rauf also rejected the allegations and questioned the meaning being attached to his gestures. He challenged the referee to explain what they interpreted his action to mean.
When asked about his repeated “0-6” hand signal, Rauf responded calmly. He said, “Tell me what you think it meant.” He added that there was no evidence to support India’s claims. At one point, match referee Richardson reportedly fell silent when pressed by Rauf. The bowler insisted his actions were only aimed at engaging with the fans, nothing more.
Read more: ICC cracks down on Yadav’s political statement
Meanwhile, the ICC recently addressed Pakistan’s own complaint against Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav. The ICC reprimanded Yadav and may impose a fine for his conduct. The hearing involving Rauf and Farhan is still ongoing. No official ruling has been announced yet, but both players continue to maintain their innocence.