KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has decided to personally pay the fine imposed on fast bowler Haris Rauf for breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
Sources said Naqvi has pledged to cover any ICC fines levied against Pakistani players from his own pocket. On Friday, the ICC held hearings into disciplinary cases involving Haris Rauf and top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan.
Rauf was fined 30 percent of his match fee for making inappropriate gestures toward Indian fans who heckled him during the high-stakes Super Four clash in Dubai on September 21. Farhan, who celebrated his half-century in the same match with a “gunfire gesture” using his bat, escaped with only a formal warning from ICC match referee Richie Richardson.
On the Indian side, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav was also fined 30 percent of his match fee following Pakistan’s group-stage defeat on September 14. His post-match remarks — carrying political undertones referencing the armed forces — drew sharp criticism from the PCB, which demanded a Level 4 sanction, the ICC’s most serious category of disciplinary action.
The PCB argued that Yadav’s comments undermined the spirit of the game and damaged cricket’s reputation. Analysts described the remarks as “unprecedented” and “harmful,” particularly against the backdrop of already heightened tensions between Pakistan and India.
The controversy even saw both sides skip the customary pre-match handshake at the toss, reportedly on the advice of the match referee. India went on to win the group-stage game by seven wickets, but Yadav’s remarks continue to spark debate.
