The International Cricket Council (ICC) has barred Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav from making political statements after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed a formal complaint regarding his remarks during and after the recent India-Pakistan clash.
According to sources, Yadav appeared before ICC officials at the council’s Dubai headquarters on Thursday. The PCB had submitted a letter objecting to Yadav’s comments, which included dedicating India’s victory to the victims of the Pahalgam attack and the Indian armed forces.
Following the review, the ICC issued clear instructions that no political statements would be allowed on the field in the future. Officials emphasized that cricket must remain free from political messaging.
Reports in Indian media stated that match referee Richie Richardson had sent an email to the Indian team management confirming receipt of two official reports from the PCB. These highlighted Yadav’s words at the presentation ceremony and his later comments at the press conference. Richardson noted that Yadav’s remarks could have damaged the image of the sport and recommended a formal charge. Yadav must now either accept the charge or attend a hearing with representatives from the ICC, PCB, BCCI, and himself.
After India’s victory over Pakistan on September 14, Yadav had dedicated the win to victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and praised the armed forces. Later, in a press conference, he admitted that Indian players skipped handshakes with Pakistani cricketers on instructions from the BCCI and the Indian government.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that Pakistani players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan have also been summoned to the ICC headquarters in Dubai after a complaint lodged by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The nature of the allegations has not yet been disclosed.
The developments highlight how cricket’s biggest rivalry continues to be overshadowed by political tensions, with governing bodies now taking strict measures to keep the sport neutral.
