The ICC has banned India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur for her next two international matches in response to her behaviour in the third ODI between Bangladesh and India.
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During the match in Mirpur, Fargana Hoque (107) became the first Bangladeshi woman to score a hundred as they posted 225-4. Early in the India innings, Yastika Bhatia was unconvinced when she was given lbw off Sultana Khatun.
India were 160-3 when captain Harmanpreet Kaur was also given out caught at slip off Nahida Akter. She smashed the stumps with her bat before leaving. As she left the field, she also remonstrated with the umpire, clearly frustrated at his decision.
The match ended in a tie when Meghna Singh, the Indian No.11, seemed surprised when she was given out caught behind off Marufa Akter.
Kaur was blunt in the post-match press conference: “The type of umpiring that was happening there, we were very surprised. The next time whenever we are coming to Bangladesh, we’ll have to make sure we have to deal with this kind of umpiring and accordingly, we’ll have to prepare ourselves.”
ESPNcricinfo reported that Kaur had also shouted “bring the umpires too” when the cricketers from both sides came together for the usual end-of-series photograph. Kaur and Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty were holding the trophy together an posing for the photo when the incident is alleged to have taken place. She allegedly hinted at the umpires being part of the Bangladesh team before Bangladesh captain Sultana walked off with her team in protest.
The ICC charged Kaur with a Level 2 offence under Article 2.8 of ICC’s Code of Conduct (“Showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match”). She was fined 50 percent of her match fee (a Level 2 violation can amount to a fine of anything between 50 and 100 percent) and received three demerit points.
Additionally, she was charged with a Level 1 offence under Article 2.7 (“Public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international Match”). this amounted to a 25 percent fine.
Kaur has now accumulated four demerit points, which convert to two suspension points. She will be banned for either one Test match, two ODIs or two T20Is, “whichever comes first for the team”.
She pleaded guilty to match referee Akhtar Ahmed, and no further formal hearing was required.
