Srinagar, Sep 25 (KNS): The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry has spilled beyond the boundary lines, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) now set to hear complaints from both boards after controversial on-field gestures and remarks sparked fresh tensions.
According to KNS, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have lodged complaints against each other’s players following the Super Four clash on September 21. The ICC has scheduled hearings for Thursday.
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf is under investigation for a boundary-line gesture, interpreted by many as a reference to recent armed conflict between the two nations. Adding fuel to the controversy, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi shared a video of football star Cristiano Ronaldo making a similar movement, seen as an attempt to defend Rauf’s act.
Observers, however, pointed out that Ronaldo’s action related to his goalkick technique, not a symbolic gesture, raising questions about whether the PCB chief, also head of the Asian Cricket Council, should openly defend a player facing a code-of-conduct probe.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Meanwhile, India has complained about Rauf’s gesture as well as teammate Sahibzada Farhan’s “bat-as-gun” celebration after scoring a half-century. In a counter move, Pakistan lodged a complaint against India’s Suryakumar Yadav for post-match remarks on September 14 expressing solidarity with terror victims in Pahalgam and the Indian Army.
Match referee Andy Pycroft will hear the BCCI’s case against Pakistani players, while Richie Richardson will preside over the PCB’s case against the Indian skipper.
Analysts say the acts may appear minor but, in the charged atmosphere of India-Pakistan relations, they are being seen as political statements and clear breaches of ICC’s player code.
The outcome of the hearings is expected within 24 hours. With both sides eyeing a possible third face-off in the tournament final on September 28, the row threatens to further inflame an already tense cricketing contest.(KNS)