Nicholas Pooran, the in-form West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman, has been fined 15% of his match fee and handed a demerit point for publicly criticizing an umpire during the second T20I against India in Guyana.
The incident happened in the fourth over after India captain Hardik Pandya opted to bat first. Pooran felt that the umpire had made a wrong decision when he gave India batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad not out after he was trapped in front of the stumps. Pooran expressed his displeasure with the decision to the umpire, and his comments were picked up by the stump microphones.
Pooran later admitted that he had made a mistake in criticizing the umpire, and he apologized for his actions. He also accepted the sanctions imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The fine of 15% of Pooran’s match fee is the minimum penalty for a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. Pooran has also been handed a demerit point, which will add to his disciplinary record. If Pooran accumulates four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, he will be suspended for one match.
Pooran’s actions were a rare lapse in judgment for the 26-year-old, who has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the world in recent months. He has scored 108 runs in two matches in the ongoing T20I series against India, including a match-winning 67 in the second T20I.
