This was his second offence in 24 months.
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15% of his match fees and handed a demerit point for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct. He was guilty of breaching Article 2.5, 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.”
During the first session of Day 4 of the Lord’s Test, Siraj dismissed Ben Duckett. He then went near him to scream in his face to express his excitement, and also bumped his shoulder. That was avoidable and could have heated things further had Duckett not gone back without saying anything.
This was his second offence in 24 months, earning him his second demerit point. Two more demerit points will mean suspension points. Siraj will be banned thereafter, meaning he should be cautious with his aggression now.
He often gets carried away while bowling and talks with batters unnecessarily, leading to heated arguments and avoidable drama. Sure, Siraj should play aggressively. But he must understand where to draw the line before more demerit points come and lead to suspension.
ALSO READ:
Tempers have flared throughout the ongoing Lord’s Test, with players from both teams going hard after each other verbally. For instance, Shubman Gill had a strong altercation with Zak Crawley during the final moments of Day 3. It happened when the batter deliberately wasted time to avoid facing more overs.
That wasn’t just limited to Gill, for most Indian players tried to intimidate the English batter, with fingers pointed at each other. Similarly, Ben Stokes came near KL Rahul last night and clapped sarcastically as Gill did. Then, Joe Root asked the crowd to roar and create pressure on the Indian batters.
All of this has been going on as both teams want to give nothing and have a mental edge over each other in this crunch game. So, more drama is expected on Day 5 as this Test hangs well in balance.
There will be sledging, the crowd will be divided, tempers will flare again, and scenes can get awkward before a dramatic finish. The umpires will be more vigilant now. For India, the key will be to focus on the bigger picture and win the game, even if that requires ignoring anything unnecessary coming from the opposition camp.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
