Pakistani media claimed that fast bowler Haris Rauf was penalized with merit points without being informed during an official hearing about his alleged breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.
According to a Geo Super report, Rauf was told his sentence would be reduced if he accepted the offence. When he refused, he was fined 30 percent of his match fee. However, sources suggest that the demerit points were never discussed during the hearing and were instead added later without prior notification to either the player or the Pakistan team management.
The ICC handed down a series of sanctions on Tuesday following incidents during the India–Pakistan Asia Cup matches on 14, 21 and 28 September. The Asia Cup matches marked the first meeting between the two sides since the Pahalgam terror attack and the cross-border hostilities that followed.
From handshake insults to provocative gestures, the tension spilled over onto the pitch in all three encounters.
On 14 September, Rauf was fined 30 percent of his match fee and given two demerit points for provocative gestures.
In the final on 28 September, following a hearing conducted by ICC Match Referee Richie Richardson, he was again fined 30 per cent and awarded two more demerit points, taking his total to four, and was banned from two matches.
Throughout the tournament, Rauf found himself under scrutiny after his on-field gestures towards Indian fans went viral on social networks. Online clips showed the pacer reacting to chants from the stands, prompting a review under Article 2.21 of the ICC Code of Conduct – dealing with conduct that brings the game into disrepute.
In one instance, the fast bowler was seen mimicking the motion of a descending plane, which many online interpreted as a reference to unverified claims of Pakistani jets shooting down Indian planes during earlier cross-border tensions.
Also sanctioned was Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, who received a 30 percent fine and two points for a separate breach of Article 2.21. According to sources, Suryakumar was punished for making politically charged comments.
Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan received an official warning and one point for celebrating his fifty with a gun-firing gesture.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
November 5, 2025
