The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially lodged a complaint against Pakistan cricketers Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf for their inappropriate actions during the high-voltage Asia Cup's Super Four encounter on September 21.According to BCCI sources, a complaint has been filed with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and match referee Andy Pycroft. The Indian team has demanded strict action against both players for conduct that they believe crossed the line of acceptable on-field behaviour.
During Pakistan's innings, opener Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his half-century in controversial fashion by holding his bat like a gun, a move that has been widely criticised as being insensitive and provocative.
Later in the match, pacer Haris Rauf came under fire for multiple incidents. After dismissing Sanju Samson, Rauf showed aggression, and later when he was stationed near the boundary rope, responded to the jeers from Indian spectators by lifting his fingers to indicate "0-6", a reference to Pakistan's groundless claims that they downed six Indian fighter jets during the four-day clash at the border after India's Operation Sindoor in May this year.
Rauf's reaction spread like wildfire, and videos of his gesture went viral on social media. The 31-year-old drew flak from numerous Indian fans, who trolled and lampooned him for his action. During the incident, Rauf was teased by the fans with the chants of "Virat Kohli", as the legendary batter had hit him for two successive sixes during a tense run-chase of 160 runs at Melbourne during the T20 World Cup 2022, one of which has been described by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as the 'Shot of the Century'.
Interestingly, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier lodged two complaints with the ICC against Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav.
PCB was against Suryakumar Yadav's comment after the game on September 14 on the Pahalgam incident, as according to them, he made it political.
"Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile," Suryakumar Yadav said after the win.
