London, July 13: India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj may find himself under scrutiny following a fiery send-off to England opener Ben Duckett during the third innings of the ongoing Test match at Lord’s. The incident, which also involved slight shoulder contact between the two players, could prompt disciplinary action from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
England began Day Four on 2/0, with both teams having posted identical scores of 387 in the first innings. Siraj shared the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah, and in just his third over, he removed Duckett with a short-of-length delivery outside off. Duckett attempted an ill-judged pull and only managed to hit it straight to Bumrah at mid-on.
Siraj, evidently pumped up after the breakthrough, gave Duckett a pointed send-off. As the batter walked back, Siraj brushed shoulders with him while rejoining his teammates. Commentator Nasser Hussain, speaking on-air, noted that it was Duckett who appeared to move toward Siraj, downplaying the intent behind the shoulder contact. Nevertheless, the umpires were seen having a word with the Indian pacer immediately after.
Siraj continued his aggressive spell by trapping Ollie Pope lbw, while debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Zak Crawley. At the time of writing, England were tottering at 51 for 3, with Joe Root and Harry Brook at the crease.
Under Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct, any action or gesture directed at a dismissed batter that could be deemed provocative, demeaning, or excessive—commonly referred to as a “send-off”—is punishable as a Level 1 offence. Penalties may include a warning, up to two demerit points, or a fine of up to 50% of the player’s match fee.
While there’s no clear evidence of verbal abuse—television cameras only picked up Siraj shouting “come on”—his close proximity to Duckett during the send-off may still fall under the purview of Article 2.5. The final call will rest with match referee Richie Richardson.
In addition, Article 2.12, which deals with physical contact between players, may also be invoked. It penalises players for any deliberate, reckless, or negligent contact, including shoulder barges. However, given that the contact between Siraj and Duckett appeared minimal, and no injury occurred, it is unlikely that a serious charge under this clause will be pursued.
Should Siraj be found guilty under either article, the consequences could vary from a simple warning to suspension points. A Level 2 offence, in rare cases, can lead to two suspension points—enough to rule a player out of a Test match.
As of now, the ball is in the match referee’s court, and the cricketing world awaits Richardson’s verdict on whether Siraj’s fiery passion crossed the line of sportsmanship. (Agencies)
