New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has announced that he will personally cover the fine imposed on Haris Rauf following the Super 4s clash against India, according to reports. Rauf had 30% of his match fees deducted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for using abusive language during the match. Naqvi, who also serves as the current head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), took swift action to support the player.
Rauf had appeared before ICC match referee Richie Richardson on Friday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. In the same game, Pakistan had lodged a complaint against India skipper Suryakumar Yadav for political remarks after he dedicated India’s September 14 victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Yadav, too, pleaded not guilty but was instructed not to make statements construed as political for the remainder of the tournament.
Apart from Rauf, Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan has also come under scrutiny. Farhan pleaded not guilty to any code of conduct violation for his gunfire celebration during the same match. Both cricketers appeared in person at the hearing at the Pakistan team hotel in Dubai, even though their responses were submitted in writing. The BCCI had accused them of making provocative gestures, including Rauf mocking Indian fans with gestures about falling planes and Farhan’s open-air gunfire celebration after completing his half-century.
The two sides are set to clash again in the Asia Cup 2025 final on September 28, intensifying the already tense rivalry. The ICC is yet to release an official statement on the matter.
