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Both Pakistan and India have lodged complaints against each other in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025
Indian T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav was on Thursday advised by ICC match referee Richie Richardson to refrain from making remarks that could be construed as political. This came after the Pakistan Cricket Board filed a complaint against him, following India’s Asia Cup group-stage win on September 14.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) finds itself in the middle of a storm as both Pakistan and India have lodged complaints against each other in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. The two teams are set to clash for the third time in the tournament in the final match on Sunday.
The PCB had alleged that Yadav’s post-match remarks after India’s September 15 victory over Pakistan—where he dedicated the win to the victims of the Pahalgam massacre—were political in nature. Pakistan also took exception to the Indian team’s refusal to shake hands after the game, calling it a breach of sporting spirit.
But India was quick to respond. Earlier the same day, the BCCI lodged its own complaint with the ICC, this time over provocative on-field gestures by Pakistani players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan during the September 21 Super 4s clash in Dubai. Rauf was accused of signalling “6-0″, interpreted as a reference to Pakistan’s claim of six Indian aircraft being downed during Operation Sindoor, while Farhan allegedly mimicked firing an AK-47. The gestures have sparked outrage among BCCI officials and Indian fans.
The ICC has summoned Pakistan’s captain and the two players to appear before Richardson on Friday. A final ruling on the complaints is expected before Sunday’s Asia Cup final.
Controversy has also surrounded an earlier meeting between the Pakistani team and referee Andy Pycroft following the first India-Pakistan game. Despite ICC rules banning recordings in players’ areas, Pakistan’s media manager filmed the interaction and circulated it locally. ICC insiders say Pakistan later misrepresented Pycroft’s words as an “apology” over the handshake row, when in fact, his remarks were only an attempt to clarify any miscommunication.
Sources say that while Suryakumar Yadav may escape with a warning as handshakes fall under convention rather than a formal ICC regulation, the provocative gestures by Pakistani players are expected to draw stricter scrutiny given the political undertones.
ICC sanctions range from simple warnings to match bans, depending on the severity of the offence. With the Asia Cup final just days away, the governing body will need to act swiftly—and decisively—to ensure the tournament’s climax is not overshadowed by political controversies spilling into the cricketing arena.
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