Siraj slapped with ‘big penalty’ by ICC!
After the much-talked incident on the 4th day at the Lord’s, India pacer Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after a breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. Siraj was accused of ‘crossing the line’ in his celebration of the dismissal of England opener Ben Duckett, prompting the hosts’ former skipper Alastair Cook to demand a hefty penalty against the pacer. The ICC paid heed to Cook’s suggestion and announced a penalty, as well as a demerit point for the pacer on Monday. The incident happened on the fourth day when Siraj produced a fiery opening spell to claim the scalps of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. After dismissing Duckett, the pacer celebrated, coming closer to the batsman in his follow-through and making contact as the opener began his walk back to the Lord’s long room. Siraj was guilty of breaching 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 his/her dismissal during an International Match”. In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Siraj’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the second offence in 24 months, taking his tally to two demerit points. “Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after a breach in the ICC Code of Conduct during India’s Test match against England at Lord’s,” said the ICC in a statement. “After the dismissal, Siraj celebrated close to the batter in his follow-through and made contact as Duckett began his walk back to the Lord’s long room,” the statement added. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within 24 months, they are converted into suspension points, and the player is banned. “That’s unacceptable, but who is to blame now? Whether Duckett walked right into him and knew exactly what he was doing. Then again, you shouldn’t shout in someone’s face like that. I wholeheartedly say that was wrong. There should be no physical contact. Yes, celebrate a wicket like you mean it. But you’ve got him out; you don’t need to look him in the eye from three inches and shout in his face. So I expect there to be repercussions, and there should be repercussions. That is my opinion. I thought that crossed the line,” Cook had said on the BBC Test Match Special on Sunday. The moment was one of several fiery moments in a Test match likely to go down to the wire on day five.
Matured Bumrah prefers a muted celebration rather than jumping around!
The third Test between India and England, played at Lord’s in London, is in balance thanks to Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul in the first innings, which helped India bundle out England for 387. This was Bumrah’s 15th Test five-wicket haul and, in the process, got his name on the Lord’s Honours Board for the first time in his career. His 5/74 in 27 overs included five maidens, and he broke Kapil Dev’s (12) record for most five-fors by an Indian in overseas Tests with his 13th five-wicket haul away from home. When Mohammed Siraj passed on the ball to Bumrah to celebrate his milestone, the Indian ace pacer had a muted celebration, which led to speculations about him being unhappy with the proceedings. Clearing all the air, Bumrah said he was too ‘tired’ to celebrate. “The reality is that I was tired. There was no happiness factor missing. I bowled for a long time, and sometimes I get tired,” said a satisfied Bumrah with a smile during the press conference after the end of Day 2. “I’m not 21-22 anymore to jump around for celebration! I was happy I contributed—other than that, I just wanted to get back to my mark and bowl the next ball,” he added. Bumrah could only manage to pick just a solitary wicket of Harry Brook on the first day, but ended up taking four big scalps on the following day. When asked what adjustments he had made, Bumrah said, “There were not many technical changes that I made from yesterday (Day 1). The wicket was a little on the slower side, and sometimes the edges don’t carry, but we always knew that with the heat going on, when the wicket gets softer, it will get faster. It did quicken up a little bit,” he said. “Nothing massively that I changed. Obviously, you want to hit the top of the off-stump in Test cricket, the rule doesn’t change. You try to swing the ball and nip it. That’s common,” added Bumrah.
