Siraj gets fined and demerit point for Duckett send off with the ICC explaining reasons in an official statement.
Siraj fined and handed demerit point for Duckett wicket celebration.
Mohammed Siraj was given a 15% match-fee fine and a demerit point, his second in a 24-month span, for his passionate response after dismissing Ben Duckett, which featured a bump of bodies as the batter walked back.
The Indians seemed displeased with Duckett’s opening partner Zak Crawley’s attempts at what they perceived to be time-wasting, which stoked tensions on the third evening of the current third Test at Lord’s.
Siraj’s celebrations included a few roars, glaring and shouting at Duckett, and a brush of bodies as they approached each other after Duckett collapsed, dragging him to mid-on in the fifth over of the fourth morning.
An ICC statement spelt it out, saying, “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”.
That meant a breach of Article 2.5 of the ICC’s code of conduct for international players, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal”.
“It’s just very competitive, isn’t it? There’s always lines that you’ve got to be wary not to cross, and I think both teams are very passionate about playing the game and winning,” Marcus Trescothick, England’s batting coach, told BBC’s Test Match Special when asked about the heat between the two teams.
“It’s a big series for everyone to be involved in. It’s understandable at times that tempers are going to get to boiling point, and things will be said, and things happen amongst the two teams. We’re comfortable with it. We give as much as we get. Those moments that happen, and people pick up on TV, it just adds for more people to come back and view the game.”
Since four or more demerit points in a 24-month period are converted to suspension points and a player is banned, Siraj will need to exercise caution moving forward as a result of the second demerit point.