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ICC finds Ravindra Jadeja guilty, takes action after ‘ointment’ applying video goes viral in India vs Australia 1st Test
Jadeja admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
ICC took action against India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja after videos of him applying something, which was later clarified by the Indian team management as a pain-relief ointment, went viral on social media towards the end of Day 1 of the first Test against Australia in Nagpur. Jadeja was fined 25% of match fees after he was found to have breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game. In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Jadeja’s disciplinary record. This was his first offence in a 24-month period.
The incident occurred during the 46th over of Australia’s first innings on Thursday when Jadeja was seen applying a soothing cream to his left index finger. In the video footage, the left-arm spinner took a substance from Mohammed Siraj's palm and appeared to rub this onto the index finger of his left hand.
ICC said the all-rounder had done this without the on-field umpires - Nitin Menon and Richard Illingworth's permission. “This was done without asking for permission from the on-field umpires,” ICC said.
The India all-rounder who picked up seven wickets in the match and scored an invaluable 70 to help India win by an innings and 132 runs, was reportedly called by the match referee Andy Pycroft at the end of the first day's play to explain the situation.
Jadeja was accompanied by captain Rohit Sharma and they explained that it was a pain-relief cream.
There were no formal complaints from the Australian team management but it was the on-field umpires Menon and Illingworth, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan, who levelled the charge.
The match referee was satisfied with the Indian team management's explanation and decided that the cream had no bearing on the condition of the ball.
“In reaching his decision to sanction the player along with the Level 1 sanction he imposed, the match referee was satisfied that the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes. The cream was not applied as an artificial substance to the ball and consequently, it did not change the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions – Unfair Play – The Match Ball – Changing its Condition,” ICC said.
Jadeja admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
