Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and had one demerit point added to his disciplinary record after he was found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.
During Australia’s first innings, footage showed Jadeja applying a substance to his finger, with England legend Michael Vaughan stating he had “never ever seen this.”
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ESPNcricinfo stated Jadeja and India captain Rohit Sharma were shown a clip of the incident by ICC match referee Andy Pycroft after the day’s play, but reports began to emerge the spinner was simply “applying pain-relief cream to the index finger of his bowling hand.”
However, the ICC has since handed down a sanction for the incident and found Jadeja guilty of breaching Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which is related to “displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.”
The official ICC statement also notes Jadeja’s decision to apply cream on his finger “was done without asking for permission from the on-field umpires.”
Jadeja will not be required to front a formal hearing as he admitted his offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.
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It is Jadeja’s first offence in a 24-month period.
Speaking earlier in the week, numerous former players were not outraged by the incident.
Former Australian Test spinner Stephen O’Keefe couldn’t understand why several were up in arms, branding it “nonsense” on SEN.
Michael Clarke was also surprised at the reaction, but believed Jadeja should have done the act in front of the umpire to alleviate any concerns.
“He’s bowling so much so he’s probably got a blister or cut on that finger. What he should have done there, he should have given the ball to the umpire and stand in front of the umpire while he was putting it on his finger,” Clarke said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“I don’t look at that and think it’s a thing.
“I just wish he didn’t have the ball in his hand.
“If he chucks the ball to the umpire and does that I don’t think there’s any comment made about that. It’s just the perception.
“I don’t think there’s anything to it. I could be 100 per cent wrong.”
