Cricket and drama intertwine, but when on-field banter spills into geopolitics, winning takes a backseat. The Asia Cup has provided us with full-throttle drama in this: India captain Suryakumar Yadav has been found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct in relation to comments made afterwards of the India–Pakistan group game, and India has appealed against the ruling.
What Actually Happened
After India won on Sept 14, Suryakumar Kumar attributed the win to India’s armed forces in light of the current cross-border issues; PCB protested, and subsequently, there was an ICC hearing. Apparently, the Match referee, Richie Richardson, rejected Suryakumar’s not guilty plea and reprimanded him with a 30% fine of his match fee. India has appealed this ruling, so it is possible the outcome may be different.
The Pakistan Side of the Story
The Super Four matchup on September 21 has added fire: Sahibzada Farhan of Pakistan milled a fifty with a gun-miming celebration, and Haris Rauf made airplane/downing gestures while fielding. The BCCI reported those gestures, and the ICC had hearings; reports are now indicating that Rauf was also fined and Farhan was warned, although the proper sanctions have been almost comically dramatized in the media. It’s an example of both boards engaging in RP1 difficult off-field battles as well.
Why is this Bigger than a Fine?
The issue at hand is not about demerit points or the amount of a match fee. The intention of the ICC, out of neutrality, is about sport as a space away from political advocacy; when players on the teams, whether intentionally or accidentally use real-world conflicts, administrators have no choice but to intervene in some way, partly to protect the players and partly out of concern for the public face of the game. The examples of the past (from protests to messages on clothing) illustrate that the ICC has a fairly low tolerance for something that appears to be political manifestos.
Appeals can ramp up or down sanctions: if the India appeal fails, Suryakumar might face worse sanctions, and Pakistan’s pair could have punitive measures formally on record. But besides sanctions, the real casualty is the good feeling that comes with India-Pakistan matches. Fans, broadcasters, and boards will all be keeping closer watch over tone and conduct moving forward.
Fans must keep an eye on what happens as the results of these appeals will set precedents for the future. If boards want to keep cooler heads, they should look at pre-match guidelines that transcend the umpire’s discretion. Again, the league (i.e., broadcasters) could do its part by not inciting any gestures. Players themselves will need to be trained on what constitutes an enthusiastic celebration and what constitutes provocation. The net net is: enjoy the cricket, but expect more scrutiny: adjudicators and regulatory bodies have indicated they will chip in as soon as a celebration goes political.
So what now? The Asia Cup has reaffirmed that cricket exists inside a messy world and that players hardly have speech-proof bodies; sportsmanship counts. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to see the verbal fireworks stay on the field as sledging, and not in speeches that trespass into geopolitics. What do you think the ICC’s threshold should be for player speech?
Disclaimer: TThis blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
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