India has registered an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their provocative gestures during the Asia Cup Super 4 match between the two sides last Sunday.

An ICC hearing is expected to take place if Sahibzada and Rauf deny these charges in writing. They might then have to appear before ICC Elite Panel Referee Richie Richardson for a hearing. If Rauf and Sahibzada are unable to give a proper explanation to the ICC, they could face sanctions as per the code of conduct.

Acting in retaliation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also lodged an official complaint with the ICC against Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav for expressing solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and dedicating India’s victory to the Indian armed forces involved in Operation Sindoor. The PCB claimed that that Suryakumar’s comments are “political”.

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During the September 21 match, Rauf had made gestures to depict the bringing down of a plane to mock India’s military action after Indian supporters chanted “Kohli, Kohli”, referring to the match-winning sixes that Kohli hit off Rauf in a T20 World Cup game in 2022. He also hurled abuses at Indian openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma during his bowling spell.

Sahibzada, on the other hand, celebrated his half-century against India with a gun-firing gesture, using his bat as a machine gun prop. “That celebration was just a moment at that time. I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring 50. But it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that,” Farhan had said after the match.

Naqvi, too, kicks up a row

Making matters worse, Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday posted a slow-motion video of Cristiano Ronaldo on X, where the Portuguese football star is seen gesturing that an aircraft suddenly crashed, something that Rauf also did on-field during last Sunday’s India-Pakistan match.

In the light of Naqvi’s act, it remains to be seen if the Indian team would share the dais with him. Apart from also being the PCB chairman, Naqvi is Pakistan’s Interior Minister and is known to make provocative statements against India.