ICC fines Ravindra Jadeja 25% of match fees for violating code of conduct
Indian star player Ravindra Jadeja on 11 February was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Test against Australia in Nagpur.
The fine was imposed post Jadeja applied cream to the finger for medical purposes without asking for permission to do so from the on-field umpires.
Reacting on the Australian media allegations, ICC said taht the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes and it did not change the condition of the ball.
However, the board agreed Jadeja breached “Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.
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“India spin bowler Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Test against Australia in Nagpur on Thursday,” the ICC said in a statement.
“In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Jadeja’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period,” the statement added.
The incident occurred in the 46th over of Australia’s first innings, when Jadeja applied “a soothing cream to a swelling on the index finger. The player admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.
“In reaching his decision to sanction the player along with the Level 1 sanction he imposed, the Match Referee was satisfied that the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes,” the ICC said.
“The cream was not applied as an artificial substance to the ball and consequently it did not change the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions — Unfair Play-The Match Ball — Changing its Condition,” it added.
Earlier, Jadeja took 7 wicktes and also scored 70 runs in the match that India won by an innings and 132 runs against Australia.
As per details, on-field umpires Nitin Menon and Richard Illingworth, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan levelled the charge against Jadeja.
Also, 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.
With PTI inputs.
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