Powell and Rutherford Reprimanded by ICC After India T20I
West Indies stars Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford face ICC sanctions for misconduct during the second T20I against India in Ranchi.
West Indies cricketers Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford have been officially reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following disciplinary breaches during the second Men’s T20I against India in Ranchi. The sanctions come after both players were found to have violated the ICC Code of Conduct during the high-stakes encounter on Friday.
Details of the Code of Conduct Breaches
The ICC confirmed that the two players were charged with Level 1 offences, leading to formal reprimands and the addition of one demerit point to their respective disciplinary records. As this was the first offence for both players within a 24-month window, the penalties were applied accordingly.
The specific violations were as follows:
- Rovman Powell: Found in breach of Article 2.2, which concerns the abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, ground equipment, or fixtures and fittings during an international match.
- Sherfane Rutherford: Found in breach of Article 2.8, relating to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match.
How the Incidents Unfolded
The disciplinary issues occurred at different stages of the West Indies innings. In the sixth over, the tension boiled over for Powell. After being dismissed by a delivery from Mayank Yadav, the West Indian batter reacted by striking the ball away with his bat, an action deemed as equipment abuse under the code.
Later, in the 13th over, Rutherford became involved in a confrontation with the officiating staff. After a delivery he believed was a wide was ruled as a legitimate ball, Rutherford reacted by yelling aggressively at the umpire. This outburst was flagged as dissent against the official's decision.
Sanctions and Match Officials
The charges were leveled by the on-field umpires, Jayaraman Madanagopal and Rohan Pandit, alongside third umpire Nitin Menon and fourth umpire Virender Sharma.
To avoid a lengthy formal hearing, both players admitted to their offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Prakash Bhatt of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees. Under the ICC regulations, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, while maximum penalties can include a fine of up to 50 per cent of a player's match fee and up to two demerit points.