Aakanksha Jetley, Pune
The captain of India’s women’s cricket team, Harmanpreet Kaur, has been penalised for two ICC Code of Conduct violations. The incidents occurred during the team’s third match of the ICC Women’s Championship series against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday.
In the first incident, Kaur showed frustration by smashing the wickets with her bat after slip-off spinner Nahida Akter was declared caught in the 34th over of India’s innings. As a result of this Level 2 infraction, Kaur was fined 50% of her match money and given three demerit points on her disciplinary record. She will also be suspended for the next two international matches.
The International Cricket Council found Kaur guilty of violating item 2.8 of their Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which forbids showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. Additionally, Kaur was penalised 25% of her match fee for a Level 1 infraction of publicly criticising an incident during an international match. This happened during the presentation ceremony, adding one demerit point to her disciplinary record.
The captain of the Indian squad accepted responsibility for the improper behavior and the penalties imposed by Akhtar Ahmed of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees. The captain’s cooperation made a formal hearing unnecessary, and the fines were immediately imposed.
For a Level 2 violation, players usually receive a penalty of 50 to 100 per cent of their match fee and three or four demerit points. On the other hand, a Level 1 violation results in a minimum penalty of a warning from an official, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of the player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
Kaur’s suspension will undoubtedly impact her team’s performance in the upcoming matches. Her absence in either one Test match, two ODIs, or two T20Is, whichever comes first, will be felt by her teammates and fans alike. It remains to be seen how the team will cope without her presence on the field.