ICC reprimands India’s Bumrah for ‘inappropriate physical contact’ with England’s Pope

Published January 29, 2024
India’s Jasprit Bumrah (2R) gestures as England’s Ollie Pope (R) watches during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between India and England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on January 28, 2024. 1 AFP
India’s Jasprit Bumrah (2R) gestures as England’s Ollie Pope (R) watches during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between India and England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on January 28, 2024. 1 AFP

India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council Monday for “inappropriate physical contact” with England’s Ollie Pope during the home team’s 28-run Test defeat this weekend.

The incident occurred during England’s second innings when Bumrah, after bowling and completing his follow-through, “deliberately stepped in Ollie Pope’s way as the batter went for a run, leading to inappropriate physical contact”, the ICC said in a statement.

Pope’s match-winning 196 handed India only its fourth loss in their last 47 Tests at home since 2013 — but the hosts still remain favourites in the five-match series after losing the first Test.

Bumrah had been reprimanded for breaching the ICC code and had “admitted the offence and accepted the sanction” with one demerit point added to his disciplinary record, cricket’s apex body said.

The ICC code relates to “inappropriate physical contact” with a player, umpire, spectator or any other person during a match.

These breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Bumrah, who finished the game with six wickets in the match, is considered one of the few all-format new ball bowlers in the modern game.

The rare home Test defeat came as a shock for Rohit Sharma’s team, which led for much of the first three days.

England’s fearless “Bazball” brand of play devised by coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes has brought the team 14 victories in 19 Tests.

Opinion

Editorial

Extremist threat
Updated 26 Jun, 2024

Extremist threat

Do those who control the levers of state intend to confront the extremist elements that are fanning the flames of hatred in society?
Crime of torture
26 Jun, 2024

Crime of torture

WHILE the world observes the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Pakistan finds itself among those...
Price of truth
26 Jun, 2024

Price of truth

JULIAN Assange will soon be a free man. The WikiLeaks founder, who had been in the crosshairs of the world’s most...
A new operation
Updated 25 Jun, 2024

A new operation

Clear deterrent action is needed against terrorist groups, but without upending the lives of people in the affected areas.
Power theft
25 Jun, 2024

Power theft

FEDERAL Energy Minister Awais Leghari’s statement during a TV interview that electricity theft amounts to Rs600bn ...
Fatal air
25 Jun, 2024

Fatal air

TOXIC air can cost us our children. It causes life-threatening illnesses, inflicts lifelong damage and leads to ...