Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been advised by ICC match referee Richie Richardson to refrain from making statements that could be construed as political.
The advice came during an ICC hearing over the complaint filed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding Surya’s comments after the September 14 India-Pakistan Asia Cup match.
Suryakumar, who dedicated India’s win to the armed forces for Operation Sindoor and expressed solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, pleaded not guilty during the hearing. He was accompanied by senior BCCI officials.
“Richardson explained to him that he shouldn’t be making any comments that could be seen as political in nature,” a source told PTI.
The sanction, if any, could range from a warning to a 15% match fee deduction, as this is classified as a Level 1 offence under the ICC Code of Conduct.
Complaint Against Rauf & Farhan
Meanwhile, the ICC will hold a hearing on Friday against Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan following BCCI’s complaint over their provocative gestures during the September 21 match against India.
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Rauf allegedly mimicked the bringing down of a plane and hurled abuses at Indian batters.
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Farhan celebrated a fifty with a “machine gun” gesture using his bat.
If their explanations are deemed unsatisfactory, they could face sanctions as well.
ACC Chief Adds Fuel To Fire
ACC chairman and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi further stirred tensions by posting a slow-motion video of Cristiano Ronaldo appearing to mimic a crashing plane on X. The BCCI and ICC are monitoring the situation closely.
