Mohammed Siraj fined 20 per cent of match fee for outburst in second Test

Dubai: Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has been fined 20 per cent of the match fee for Level 1 offence after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct for his angry exchange with Australian century-maker Travis Head during the second Test in Adelaide on Saturday. The left-hander Head has also been reprimanded for “abusing” the Indian pacer.

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The incident occurred when both players were engaged in a verbal duel after the Australian left-hander was bowled by Siraj, who gave him a nasty send-off by pointing towards the direction of Australia’s dressing room to which the Australian responded in an “aggressive and inappropriate manner.”

Accepting sanctions

In the post-match press conference, Head said he was praising the Indian pacer after dismissing him and didn’t expect such reaction. However, Siraj responded by saying it was a lie.

On-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth, third umpire Richard Kettleborough and fourth umpire, Phillip Gillespie levelled the charges. Siraj and Head admitted their respective offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, which also carries one demerit points to both players.

Level 1 breaches

“Siraj has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee after being found to have breached article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon dismissal,” said an ICC statement. “Head was reprimanded after he was found to have breached Article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to the “abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee during an international match.”

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.