Ravi Bopara, Tino Best reprimanded by ECB for disciplinary breach

Five cricketers, including Ravi Bopara, the Essex all-rounder, and Tino Best, the Hampshire fast bowler have been handed three penalty points to both for breaching the discipline by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Bopara and Best were reported during a fixture between their respective teams on June 24. The all-rounder was seen gesturing angrily towards umpire Neil Banton, after being given out leg before. Best was also found to be at fault for a Level Two offence when he hurled the ball towards Ashar Zaidi, the Essex batsman, who took the game away from Hampshire with a half-century. The England international was found guilty of a Level Two breach for showing dissent towards the umpire.

Another incident happened on the same day, Lancashire batsman Liam Livingstone was reported by umpires Jeff Evans and Graham Lloyd for a Level One breach of showing dissent in the Natwest Blast T20 fixture against Worcestershire. Two days later, Sussex batsmen Ross Taylor and Philip Salt were reported for the same offence. While Bopara and Best were handed out penalties, the other three were given a reprimand.

The Board has decided to come heavily on the players and has made stringent rules to deter them from misbehaving on-field. The rules state that accumulation of 18 or more penalty points will result in an automatic suspension of 2 years.

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“These penalties will remain on their records for a period of two years and the accumulation of nine, 18 or more penalty points in any two-year period will result in an automatic suspension,” an ECB statement said on Thursday (July 7).