Mohammed Siraj got himself into trouble after an over-the-top celebration right in front of Ben Duckett — even bumping into the English batter in the process.
After dismissing Duckett, Siraj charged up to him and celebrated wildly, almost at his face. On Duckett’s way back to the pavilion, the Indian pacer even made slight contact with him. For this conduct, the ICC has handed Siraj a penalty.
On Monday, the governing body announced a 15% fine on Siraj’s match fee, along with adding a demerit point to his record — his second in the past 24 months.
The incident happened on the fourth morning of the Lord’s Test. In the fifth over of the day, Duckett pulled Siraj and was caught at mid-on. That’s when Siraj broke into an animated celebration.
Soon after, the umpires were seen having a word with him. It seemed then that a punishment was on the way — and it came.
Siraj’s act breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a dismissed batter.”
The Indian quick admitted his mistake and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Richie Richardson, meaning no formal hearing was required.
Now, the Lord’s Test awaits a thrilling finish — India need 135 runs on the final day, while England hunt for six wickets.
