 "ICC punishes Rauf, warns Farhan for controversial gestures against India in Asia Cup matches: Report")
Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan and pacer Haris Rauf pleaded not guilty over their controversial celebrations in their Asia Cup Super 4s match against India in Dubai during an International Cricket Council hearing on Friday. Farhan and Rauf’s hearings took place a day after India captain Suryakumar Yadav also pleaded not guilty for making political comments after the Group A meeting between the two arch-rivals.
As per news agency Press Trust of India, While Farhan was let off with a warning by the ICC and Surya was told to refrain from making political comments, Rauf was fined 30 per cent of his match fee for abusive behaviour and aggressive gesture. It’s yet to be confirmed whether ‘SKY’ will be facing any sanctions other than a warning at the moment.
While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had filed a complaint against Surya after he dedicated India’s victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack as well as to the Indian armed forces.
The BCCI, on the other hand, took objection to Farhan controversially celebrating his half-century in the Super 4s match with a gun gesture and Rauf making "6-0" and fighter jet gestures – reiterating the Pakistan armed forces claims of having shot down six Indian fighter jets, including their recently-acquired French Rafale jets.
Farhan insists gun celebration part of his culture
According to India Today, Farhan defended his gun celebration as something that’s part of his culture, with celebratory firings being common in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as well as in Afghanistan, and was not politically-motivated.
Farhan also cited similar celebrations by former India captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in his defence. It’s worth noting, however, that Farhan had not celebrated with a gun gesture in each of his three previous half-centuries for Pakistan, and celebrated in that fashion for the first time against the Men in Blue months after the Pahalgam terror attack during his 45-ball 58.
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Rauf, meanwhile, claimed that he had made no reference to India whatsoever while making the “6-0” gesture while standing near the boundary on Sunday.
The two sides will meet each other for the third time in the ongoing tournament in Sunday’s final, in which India will be aiming to be crowned Asian T20 champions for the second time and Pakistan will be chasing their maiden continental title in the 20-over format.
India have won both of their meetings in convincing fashion, and will be aiming to make it 3-0 on Sunday. For the Salman Agha-led Men in Green, however, their defeats at the hands of their fierce rivals earlier in the tournament will hardly matter if they can win the first-ever Indo-Pak Asia Cup final.
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