India’s left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja on Sunday was fined 50 percent of his match fee for running on the pitch during the third test played against New Zealand in Indore. The incident happened during India’s first innings when the 27-year-old all-rounder, after previously receiving two informal and one official warning, infringed the protected area of the pitch for the fourth time and damaged it.
Jadeja was found to have breached Article 2.2.11 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match”.
Level 2 breaches carry an imposition of a fine of between 50 and 100 per cent of applicable match fee and/or up to two suspension points, and three or four demerit points. In accordance with Article 7.3 of the revised Code, which came into effect on 22 September, in addition to the sanction imposed for his breach of Article 2.2.11, three demerit points have been added to Jadeja’s disciplinary record.
This means if Jadeja reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, his demerit points will be converted into, at least, two suspension points which will lead to a ban from his next match or matches. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20s, whatever comes first for the player.
Jadeja while admitting the offence has accepted the sanctions proposed by Match Referee David Boon. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Bruce Oxenford, both from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, third umpire Chettithody Shamshuddin and fourth official Nitin Menon.
ANI