Indian paceman S Sreesanth has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee for breaching
an ICC Code of Conduct by deliberately barging past England captain Michael Vaughan
on the fourth day of their second cricket Test at Trent Bridge.
Sreesanth, charged after shouldering Vaughan during the first session yesterday,
pleaded guilty to a Level 2 offence in a hearing convened by Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle
after stumps were drawn.
The bowler accepted he breached clause 2.4 of the ICC Code
of Conduct which relates to "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact
between players in the course of play." India manager Chandu Borde
and captain Rahul Dravid also attended the hearing where video
evidence was used to establish the charges.
Madugalle said: "Cricket is a non-contact sport and any
deviation from that fact is completely unacceptable, a point I made to Sreesanth
in handing down my verdict.
"I have no problem with players being combative on the
field but there is a line they cannot cross and Sreesanth crossed that line
when he barged past Michael Vaughan, a collision he had every opportunity
to avoid.
"I am pleased that Sreesanth accepted he was in the wrong
by pleading guilty and that he apologised for his actions and I hope he learns
from his mistake here." The charges were brought by on-field umpires Simon Taufel
and Ian Howell, third umpire Nigel Llong and fourth
official Neil Mallender and all four umpires attended the hearing.
|
