New Delhi: Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan may likely face sanctions after the ICC hearing concluded in Dubai on Friday. Both the Pakistan cricketers pleaded not guilty during their hearing for alleged provocative actions during the Asia Cup Super Four encounter against arch-rivals India.
As per some tournament sources, they will face sanctions for some of their gestures as Rauf is set to be fined for his ‘abusive language and aggressive gestures’ during the game against the traditional rivals in last Sunday. Batter Farhan, on the other hand, has also pleaded not guilty to any code of conduct violation for his gun-fire celebration during the same match, claiming that it is a ‘traditional way of celebrating in his ethnic Pakhtun tribe’ in Pakistan.
Match referee Richie Richardson conducts hearing
The hearing was conducted by match referee Richie Richardson at the Pakistan team hotel in Dubai on Friday. Both the players appeared before Richardson in person and gave their responses to the allegation in writing. Apart from both these players, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema accompanied them.
‘They are likely to be fined and given demerit points but there will be no match ban on either of the two,’ a tournament source told news agency PTI.
Earlier on Wednesday, the BCCI accused both the players in a formal complaint to making provocative gestures against the Indian cricket team. The traditional rivals are set to compete in the summit clash of the event on Sunday. This would be the first time that both the sides would lock horns in the final of the continental showpiece.
While Rauf had mocked the Indian fans in the stands by gesturing about falling planes, Farhan’s celebration after his half century in the game was also seen as offensive by the Indian side.