Pakistan’s Rauf given two-match ban, others sanctioned for Asia Cup behavior

Pakistan's Haris Rauf gestures towards the spectators during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four Twenty20 international cricket match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on September 21, 2025. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 04 November 2025
Follow

Pakistan’s Rauf given two-match ban, others sanctioned for Asia Cup behavior

  • Others whohave been sanctioned include India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah as well as Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan
  • Emotions ran high around the matches between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who engaged in a brief military conflict in May

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has received a two-match suspension for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct during matches against India at the Asia Cup in September, the governing body said on Tuesday.

India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah as well as Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan also committed the same offense of breaching article 2.21 of the ICC’s code of conduct, which relates to “conduct that brings the game into disrepute,” the ICC said in a statement.

Emotions ran high around the matches between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who engaged in a brief military conflict in May.

The teams faced each other three times in the eight-team tournament with India prevailing on all three occasions. Defending champions India refused to shake hands with Pakistani players during the matches.

The ICC, cricket’s governing body, did not state the specific nature of the offenses in its statement on Tuesday.

ESPNCricinfo reported in September that Rauf had made numerous gestures to indicate aircraft going down, while Farhan celebrated by holding his bat like a gun.

India captain Yadav made a remark dedicating their win over Pakistan on September 14 to the Indian armed forces, prompting the Pakistan Cricket Board to file a complaint against him to the ICC. Cricinfo reported on Tuesday that Bumrah was cited for a gesture he made during the final.

India, who won the final on September 28, refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president and Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Rauf, who received four demerit points for two offenses, misses Pakistan’s One-Day International (ODI) matches against South Africa on Tuesday and Thursday. He was also fined 30 percent of his match fees in two games.

Yadav was also fined 30 percent of his match fees in one match. Bumrah and Farhan were given official warnings.


India to make Rafale jets with France in boost to defense ties, Macron says

Updated 7 sec ago
Follow

India to make Rafale jets with France in boost to defense ties, Macron says

  • India last week gave clearance to buy 114 more Rafale jets for country’s air force, besides planes, missiles
  • Rafale jets flown by the Indian Air Force were in the spotlight during India’s conflict with Pakistan last May

NEW DELHI: France and India are entering a new era of defense cooperation ​with plans to jointly produce Rafale fighter jets as well as helicopters, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, adding France also hopes to sell more submarines to India.

India’s expected order for another 114 Rafales is a “new step forward” in defense ties between the two countries and France hopes to see this replicated with submarines as well, Macron told reporters at the end of a three-day visit to India.

“On Rafale, ‌what we want ‌to do is expand. India confirmed ​a few ‌days ⁠ago its ​willingness ⁠to command a new bunch of Rafales... 114... and to co-produce in India,” Macron said.

The Defense Acquisition Council of India’s defense ministry last week gave initial clearance to acquire 114 more Rafale jets for the air force, besides other planes and missiles, months after the worst fighting in decades between India and Pakistan.

So far, India has purchased 36 Rafales for its ⁠air force and ordered another 26 marine versions of ‌the jet for the navy.

Details of ‌the Rafale deal including plans for co-production, expected ​to be sealed after technical ‌and commercial negotiations, are yet to be made public. Indian media reports have ‌said that the 114 jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation are expected to cost 3.25 trillion rupees ($35.65 billion).

They have also reported that up to 90 of the 114 jets could be produced in India with a joint venture partner ‌who is yet to be identified.

“Rafale is absolutely key,” Macron said. “I hope we will do it on submarines. We ⁠offered additional ⁠capacities.”

The Indian navy operates six French Scorpene submarines and local media reports say there are plans to order more.

On Tuesday, Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the first H125 helicopter assembly line, made in India by a joint venture between Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems, as well as a plan to jointly produce HAMMER missiles in India, by Safran and India’s state-owned Bharat Electronics.

Rafale jets flown by the Indian Air Force were in the spotlight during India’s conflict with Pakistan last May.

Reuters reported that Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10C jets shot down at least ​one Rafale, citing US officials.

New ​Delhi has confirmed losses in the air but has not acknowledged a Rafale being shot down.