Haris Rauf missed the first ODI against South Africa on Tuesday, and will be unavailable for the second one as well, as he serves an ICC ban. He has accumulated four demerit points, from two separate offences that occurred during Pakistan's matches against India during Asia Cup 2025. Though the ICC said on their official website Rauf's violations took place on 14 and 28 September, they in fact occurred in the games on 21 September and the final, 28 September.
Each time, the offence involved a breach of Article 2.21 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which concerns bringing the game into disrepute. As Rauf did not accept the charge on either occasion, formal hearings were held, after which the sanctions were handed out. Once a player accumulates four demerit points within a 24-month period, a two-match suspension is automatically triggered.
Rauf's sanction was one of many that resulted from incidents during the three India-Pakistan games across the Asia Cup. India captain Suryakumar Yadav also picked up two demerit points under the same charge, following comments he made after India's win over Pakistan on September 14.
While ESPNcricinfo reported on the sanctions at the time, the ICC only officially made them public on Tuesday, five weeks after the conclusion of the tournament. Sahibzada Farhan also received an official warning and a demerit point for an offence on September 21, though, once more, the ICC attributed it to September 14. Jasprit Bumrah picked one up for a gesture he made during the final. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh was charged with a breach of Article 2.6, which pertains to using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting, for actions on September 21. He was ultimately found not guilty.
All the charges resulted from a trio of ill-tempered games between India and Pakistan at the Asia Cup, during which political tensions spilled over onto the field. India refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players in any of the three games, a move Pakistan captain Salman Agha criticised as "not in the spirit of the game". Suryakumar countered by saying a "few things" were "bigger than sportsman's spirit".
The tension between the two sides nearly led to Pakistan pulling out of the tournament altogether, after they blamed match referee Andy Pycroft for barring the players from shaking hands, a version of events the ICC disputed. The standoff resulted in Pakistan's game against the UAE being delayed for over an hour before the PCB and the ICC cleared the air.
The tournament ended with the first-ever Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan. India won a thrilling encounter in the final over. However, the drama was not done. At the presentation ceremony, India's players refused to accept their trophy from ACC president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who insisted on handing it over himself. After a lengthy delay, India celebrated on the podium without the trophy. It is understood the trophy has still not been given to the Indian team.
Rauf will become available for the third game of the three-match ODI series against South Africa, which is currently being played in Faisalabad.