West Indies batters Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford have landed in trouble with the International Cricket Council (ICC) after separate on-field incidents during the second T20I against India in Ranchi on Friday. Both players have received official reprimands and one demerit point each for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the match.
Why were Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford reprimanded?
Powell was found guilty of breaching Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with the abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings.
The incident occurred in the sixth over of the West Indies innings after Powell was dismissed by Mayank Yadav. Following his dismissal, the West Indies batter struck the ball away with his bat, prompting the disciplinary action.
Rutherford, meanwhile, breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during the second T20I. The incident took place in the 13th over of the innings when Rutherford aggressively shouted at the umpire after a delivery he believed was wide was ruled legitimate.
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Both players accept sanctions
Both Powell and Rutherford admitted their respective offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Prakash Bhatt of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees. As a result, no formal hearings were required.
The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Jayaraman Madanagopal and Rohan Pandit, third umpire Nitin Menon, and fourth umpire Virender Sharma. The one demerit point awarded to each player has been added to their disciplinary records. Since both incidents were their first offences in the preceding 24 months, neither player had any previous demerit points recorded during that period.
What are the ICC’s penalties for Level 1 offences?
According to the ICC Code of Conduct, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of a fine of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee. Players can also receive one or two demerit points, depending on the nature and severity of the offence.
Demerit points remain on a player’s disciplinary record for 24 months from the date of the offence. If a player accumulates four or more demerit points during that period, they are converted into suspension points, potentially resulting in a ban from international cricket.
