DUBAI, Feb 14: South African pacer Kagiso Rabada was today fined 15 per cent of his match fee and handed a demerit point for making “aggressive gestures” at Shikhar Dhawan following the Indian opener’s dismissal in the fifth ODI at Port Elizabeth.
Yesterday’s incident happened in the eighth over of India’s innings when Rabada, after dismissing Dhawan, waved at the departing batsman and also made a comment “which could have resulted in a reaction from the batsman”.
India won the game by 73 runs to take an unassailable 4-1 lead in the six-match series.
“Rabada also received one demerit point after being found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personne,” said the ICC in a statement.
He was charged by the on-field umpires Ian Gould and Shaun George, third umpire Aleem Dar and fourth umpire Bongani Jele under article 2.1.7, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match”.
Rabada admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. Therefore, there was no need for a formal hearing.
The pacer now has five demerit points on his disciplinary record after receiving three against Sri Lanka in a One-Day International on February 8, 2017 and one during the Lord’s Test against England on July 7, 2017.
Rabada was subsequently suspended from the Trent Bridge Test against England after his accumulated demerit points reached four following the Lord’s breach.
“If Rabada reaches the next threshold of eight or more demerit points within a 24-month period, he will be suspended again from either two Tests; one Test and two ODIs/T20Is; or four ODIs/T20Is, whichever comes first for the player,” the statement added. (AGENCIES)
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