NEW DELHI: Pakistan players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan's controversial gestures against India in the Asia Cup Super 4 match may have sparked debate, but former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was not surprised, questioning their upbringing.

Farhan top-scored with 58, helping Pakistan post a respectable 171/5 against India. He marked his half-century with a gun-like gesture using his bat, leaving fans stunned. Rauf responded to jeers from Indian spectators by showing '6-0' with his fingers.

The '6-0' signal was a reference to the Pakistani government's politically charged claims of downing six Indian fighter jets during Operation Sindoor. The pacer did not stop there; he went on to mimic the motion of a crashing plane.

"I want to talk about the celebrations a little bit. Sahibzada Farhan, you know the tensions between the two sides. Haris Rauf, for that matter, I thought that he was a decent person. I met him in Australia a few years back. The gestures he made in the field were needless. It tells about both of their nature and what upbringing they come from," Pathan was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.

"Play cricket in the field. To stoop down to a personal level is quite bad. And then you expect us not to talk about it, that is wrong. But I am not surprised at all. They are capable of doing these things. What you got to see on TV, that was bad itself, but the things that go on behind the scenes, the fans would be shocked if they got to know about it," he added.

India cruised to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan, chasing down a target of 172, with Abhishek Sharma cracking 74 and Shubman Gill adding 47 at the top. However, Pakistan's provocative gestures quickly stole the spotlight from India’s triumph.