Suryakumar Yadav pleads ‘not guilty’ for Pahalgam comments after Pakistan Cricket Board complain to ICC

On its part, the BCCI complained about the on-field gestures of Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan and fast bowler Haris Rauf during the second encounter on September 21. The BCCI’s complaint has been forwarded to match referee Andy Pycroft with the hearing of Pakistan players to be held on Friday — a day after their game against Bangladesh.

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma in verbal altercation with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf. (Photo: AP)

On Sunday, Farhan performed a “gun celebration” with his bat after reaching his fifty in the Super Fours match while Rauf was seen gesturing to fans while fielding on the boundary line. Rauf was also involved in a verbal exchange that involved India openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma.

Meanwhile, the hearing involving Suryakumar Yadav was conducted by match referee Richie Richardson, with the Indian captain accompanied by BCCI CEO Hemang Amin and the team’s cricket operations manager Sumeet Mallapurkar. “Surya informed the ICC hearing panel that he pleads not guilty and he hasn’t made any statement that is against the rules. The verdict will come tomorrow,” BCCI sources said. The hearing took place a day after the PCB lodged its complaint.

Their matches at the Asia Cup are the first between India and Pakistan since the Pahalgam terror attack in April. India launched Operation Sindoor against terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan in May, following which both countries launched strikes at each other for three days before suspension of hostilities.

Umpire talks to Pakistani players during the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. (Photo: AP)

Both captains, Suryakumar and Salman Agha, did not shake hands before the toss for both their games in the Asia Cup.

In his post-match comments after the September 14 game, Suryakumar had dedicated the win to the Indian armed forces. “Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the victims of the families 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 put a smile on their face,” he said.

Asked about his celebration after Sunday’s match, Farhan said: “It was just a moment of the match. Generally, I don’t celebrate a 50 but today something came to my mind and I did what I did. I don’t care what people think about it.”

The PCB had also demanded the removal of match referee Pycroft, claiming he had told both teams not to shake hands before the first game between India and Pakistan. The Pakistan team also delayed their arrival for the next game, against UAE, but relented after Pycroft apologised. The PCB’s official media handle tweeted: “ICC’s controversial match referee Andy Pycroft has apologised to the Pakistan cricket team’s manager, coach and captain.”