Asia Cup controversy: ICC takes action against Haris Rauf; Suryakumar Yadav fined

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the results of several Code of Conduct hearings arising from the India–Pakistan encounters during the ICC Asia Cup 2025. The disciplinary actions, confirmed on Tuesday, follow investigations into on-field incidents from the matches held on September 14, 21, and 28.

These hearings were conducted by members of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.

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The September 14 clash saw India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan charged with breaches of Article 2.21 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which addresses behaviour that brings the game into disrepute. ICC Match Referee Richie Richardson found all three guilty. Suryakumar was fined 30% of his match fee and given two demerit points.

Farhan received an official warning and one demerit point, while Rauf was fined 30% of his match fee and handed two demerit points.A week later, on September 21, India pacer Arshdeep Singh was cleared of an alleged breach of Article 2.6, which pertains to using obscene or offensive gestures. ICC Match Referee Andy Pycroft found him not guilty, and no sanction was imposed.In the September 28 final between India and Pakistan, further disciplinary action followed.

Jasprit Bumrah accepted responsibility for a breach of Article 2.21 for conduct deemed to bring the game into disrepute. By accepting the charge and sanction—a formal warning and one demerit point—Bumrah avoided a hearing.However, Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf once again came under scrutiny for the same offence. Following a second hearing before Richie Richardson, Rauf was fined another 30% of his match fee and given two additional demerit points.

This took his tally to four demerit points within a 24-month period, which automatically converts to two suspension points under ICC rules. As a result, Rauf has been suspended from Pakistan’s upcoming ODIs against South Africa on November 4 and 6, 2025.According to ICC regulations, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum of a 50% match-fee fine, along with one or two demerit points. Once a player accumulates four or more demerit points in two years, they are converted into suspension points, resulting in a ban. Demerit points remain on record for 24 months before being expunged.