Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has defended overseas English fast bowler Tom Curran after he was banned for four Big Bash League games for intimidating an umpire during a pre-match warm-up.
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Match referee Bob Parry had reported Curran under Article 2.17 of the Code of Conduct for “intimidation or attempted intimidation of an Umpire”.
Video footage showed Curran performing a practice run-up and then running onto the pitch. He was instructed not to do so again by the umpire, who stood at the crease to guard the pitch. Curran ran in regardless, side-stepping the official at the last moment as he took evasive action.
The England seamer has come in for significant criticism for his actions, but Sydney Sixers still intend to appeal his ban, with Henriques claiming “you can’t quite understand the context” just by watching the video.
The Sydney Sixers and all-rounder Tom Curran have tonight confirmed their intention to lodge an appeal against the 4-match sanction handed down under the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct.
Read the full statement via https://t.co/2Jf2JA1t5n pic.twitter.com/IUFMJUFO2m
— Sydney Sixers (@SixersBBL) December 21, 2023
“I’ve seen the ten-second clip; it doesn’t look great but… you can’t quite understand the context there either,” he said. “There was a bit of communication before and after, [and] that probably hasn’t been released either.”
He also defended Curran’s character, reiterating that the Sixers intended to stand by him.
“I’ve known Tom for a long time, played with him at Surrey, [and] he’s been a big part of the Sixers for a long time,” he said. “He’s a great man, he’s a real leader in the community, [and] he’s a leader among our team. I’m still struggling to comprehend that sort of penalty for what he’s done.
“It’s been a pretty tough time for TC – the last 11 days – sitting on this and knowing what he’s like,” he said. “He’s taken it to heart; he’s really worried about the assassination of the character there. It’s a big claim. I’m wishing him the best. It took ten days to get a hearing in the first place, which is very unusual anyway. We’re definitely going to appeal. All of the players and all of our staff are behind him.”
