Pakistani batsman Asif Ali may be punished by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for getting physical with Afghanistan bowler Fareed Ahmad during a match between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Dubai on Wednesday as part of the Asia Cup 2022 cricket tournament.
Asif and Fareed first exchanged words and then came into physical contact with each other during Wednesday’s match. The situation turned ugly when Fareed started sledging towards Pakistani players shortly before end of the match.
In reaction, Asif came face to face with Fareed and the two indulged in pushing and shoving. Asif also raised his bat, threatening Fareed to hit him with it. However, other members of the Afghanistan cricket team and the umpire came forward to control the situation.
According to cricket experts, the ICC could ban Asif for one or two matches for his misconduct. If the ICC punishes Fareed too, the experts said, it would not be a problem for the Afghanistan cricket team, which has already lost key matches in the Asia Cup 2022 cricket tournament. The last match of the tournament Afghanistan played was against India on Thursday.
However, the ban on Asif would affect Pakistan seriously, which has qualified for the Asia Cup finals against Sri Lanka.
Another possibility is the ICC can impose a fine on Asif under its code of conduct.
According to sources, the match referee called both players after the match and heard them. He also informed them about the fine.
Sources said a formal decision on the matter would be announced today.