BARBADOS (Kashmir English): Darren Sammy, head coach of the West Indies cricket team and former captain, has landed in trouble with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for publicly criticising umpiring decisions during the recent Test match against Australia.
In a statement issued late Friday, the ICC confirmed that Sammy breached Article 2.7 of its Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which pertains to “public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match or any player, player support personnel, match official or team.”
The former West Indies captain, Darren Sammy, was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point, marking his first offence in the last 24 months. The penalty is classified as a Level 1 breach, the least severe under ICC regulations, which can attract anything from an official reprimand to a 50 per cent match fee fine and up to two demerit points.
The governing body clarified that this behaviour goes against the spirit of the game and emphasised the need for players and coaches to respect umpires at all times.
The charge was laid by on-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Nitin Menon, third umpire Adrian Holdstock, and fourth umpire Gregory Brathwaite.
Darren Sammy’s comments came during a post-day press conference on Day 2 of the match, where he questioned the consistency and fairness of third umpiring decisions after his side fell victim to two controversial calls.
Both Shai Hope and stand-in captain Roston Chase were given out in questionable circumstances. Hope was caught behind despite inconclusive evidence over the clean catch, and Chase was adjudged lbw amid doubts over an inside edge.
Earlier in Australia’s innings, a similar appeal involving Travis Head was turned down, further fuelling discontent within the West Indies camp.
“I just want to see consistency,” Sammy said in the presser. “If we’re using technology, then use it fairly and transparently for both teams.”
The ICC stated that since Darren Sammy accepted responsibility for his comments, the matter was resolved quickly. As this was his first offence, the punishment was kept minimal. However, he has been warned that further violations could lead to stricter penalties in the future.
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