Pakistan U19 mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed was spotted using a mobile phone in the dugout during the India vs Pakistan match at the ICC U19 World Cup, triggering a wave of backlash across social media on Saturday.
Screenshots and clips circulating online show Sarfaraz seated in the players’ area, looking down at a handset. The images are widely shared with users questioning whether the act breached ICC’s restrictions on electronic communication devices inside the Player and Match Officials Areas (PMOA).
The ICC’s PMOA framework – part of is wider anti-corruption and match-integrity controls – place tight limits on phones and other communication devices during play. In general, mobile devices are not permitted in the PMOA for players and support staff, with narrowly defined exceptions typically linked to medical or security emergencies and certain match-official operational use. The intent is straightforward: prevent any unauthorised communication that could influence events on the field or compromise the integrity of the contest.
That is why the optics landed heavily online. Several posts argued that even if the device was not used to relay tactics, the mere presence of a phone in the dugout undermines the message youth cricket is meant to send: learn the rules, respect the boundaries, and compete without any grey areas.
The incident also reopened debate around Sarfaraz’s own recent comments on “spirit of the game”. During the U19 Asia Cup final last December, Sarfaraz has criticised India U19’s on field behaviour, calling it “unethical” and referencing what he said were visible gestures on the big screen: “the Indian team’s conduct… was unethical. You saw on the screen the kind of gestures their players made.” In another widely shared dugout moment from that match, he was heard urging restraint: “You don’t play against ignorant people by becoming ignorant yourself.”
For now, there is no official confirmation of any breach notice or disciplinary process stemming from the U19 World Cup image. It is also unclear what Sarfaraz Ahmed was doing on the device, and whether any exception applied. Typically, alleged PMOA violations fall under the match referee and ICC integrity protocols, which can range from warning and reporting to financial penalties if a breach is established.
ICC have reportedly issued a clarification that he is the team manager and hence he is allowed to carry the phone.
However, with the clip still spreading, the pressure point is obvious: if the rules are crystal clear, enforcement can’t be selective – especially in a tournament built to teach the next generation what elite cricket standards look like.