The International Cricket Council (ICC) has formally reprimanded Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav for making political statements after his team’s Asia Cup victory against Pakistan on September 14.
The Reprimand and Complaints
- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed an official complaint with the ICC, accusing Suryakumar Yadav of politicizing cricket and violating the ICC’s code of conduct.
- Yadav’s post-match comments, where he dedicated India’s victory to the victims of the Pulwama terror attack and expressed solidarity with the Indian armed forces, were cited as the basis for the complaint.
- The ICC held a hearing and advised Yadav to refrain from making similar political statements in the future.
Additional Complaints
- In a separate incident, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has filed its own complaint with the ICC against Pakistani players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan.
- The complaint is regarding their on-field gestures during the Asia Cup Super Fours clash. The BCCI has specifically highlighted Farhan’s “gun” celebration after his half-century and Rauf’s gestures toward fans while fielding at the boundary.
- Both Pakistani players are scheduled to appear before the ICC governing body on Friday. If they deny the allegations, a formal hearing will be held.
These events come amid heightened tensions between the two teams, which were also evidenced by the teams skipping the traditional pre-match handshake at the start of the tournament.
