England vs Pakistan: Umpire Richard Kettleborough spoken to by ACU officials over smartwatch

Kettleborough was seen wearing the watch during the first session of Day 1. The umpire immediately took off his watch upon realising his error and did not wear it in the post lunch session. He reportedly informed the ACU, which considered the incident a minor violation of the regulations.

England’s Richard Kettleborough, one of the on-field umpires in the ongoing second Test between England and Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, has been spoken to by the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) after wearing a smartwatch.

Umpire Richard Kettleborough, right, talks to England's captain Joe Root as they leave the field after rain stopped play on the first day of the second cricket Test match between England and Pakistan, at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020.(AP)

Kettleborough was seen wearing the watch during the first session of Day 1. As per a report in ESPNCricinfo, the umpire immediately took off his watch upon realising his error and did not wear it in the post lunch session. He reportedly informed the ACU, which considered the incident a minor violation of the regulations.

They then spoke to the umpire and reminded him of his obligations under the Player and Match Officials Area Regulations (PMOA). The ACU, however, are likely to escalate the matter.

In order to combat corruption in the game, players and officials are obliged to hand over their phones and any other transmitting devices to anti-corruption officials ahead of the start of play.

Earlier, Pakistan’s players were spoken to by officials as some of them took the field wearing smartwatches during the Lord’s Test of 2018.

Earlier this year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had tightened its anti-corruption guidelines by banning players from wearing smartwatches on the field of play in all fixtures.

(With agency inputs)