Junaid Siddique of UAE fined 25 percent of match fees for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Junaid Siddique of the United Arab Emirates has been fined 25 percent of his match fee and two demerit points have been added to his disciplinary record for two Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third Twenty20 International against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.

Siddique was handed an official reprimand and one demerit point was added to his disciplinary record for breaching article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”

He was also fined 25 percent of his match fee and one more demerit point was added to his disciplinary record for another offence later in the match when he breached article 2.8, which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision.”

As a consequence, Siddique has two demerit points on his disciplinary record as he has not had any previous offences in the preceding 24-month period. The first incident occurred in the fifth over of New Zealand’s innings, when Siddique moved in close proximity to dismissed batter Tim Seifert and shouted aggressively at him.

Then in the 17^th over, Siddique showed dissent by using inappropriate language towards the umpire when an appeal for a dismissal was turned down. Siddique admitted the offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Akbar Ali and Shiju Sam, and third umpire Aasif Iqbal levelled the charges. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.