ICC Announces Sanctions Against Mohammed Siraj, Travis Head For Their Verbal Spat In Pink-Ball Test

Both players admitted their respective offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle

Mohammed Siraj gave a send-off to Travis Head, who responded with some choice words on day two / Getty Images.

By Daisy Atino

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the action against Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head for their argument on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval.

The governing body penalized the duo for their on-field incident during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series.

“Mohammed Siraj has been fined 20 percent of his match fee. He breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which covers using language, actions or gestures that could provoke a batter to give an aggressive reaction upon his dismissal,” the ICC said in a statement.

Head too was sanctioned for breaching the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

“Head has also been sanctioned with one demerit point for breaking Article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which is related to using abusive language towards a rival player, support staff, umpire or match referee during an international game.” The statement said.

Siraj and Head also received one demerit point each on their disciplinary records, marking their first offence within the last 24 months.

Both players admitted their respective offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle.

The pink-ball Test in Adelaide between Australia and India saw tempers flare during a high-stakes five-match series with significant World Test Championship implications. The incident took place when Travis Head was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj after a fiery 140, after which the Indian pacer gave a send-off to the Aussie star by pointing towards the direction of the dressing room.

A brief verbal exchange followed the wicket, but the pair reconciled on the field when Siraj came out to bat during India’s second innings.

Australia rebounded emphatically from their massive 295-run defeat in Perth, securing a commanding 10-wicket victory in the day-night Test.

Head’s scintillating 140 off 141 balls was the standout performance, proving to be the decisive factor between the two sides. He was deservedly named Player of the Match.

Australia’s pacers delivered a masterclass in favourable conditions, with Mitchell Starc (6/48 and 2/60), Pat Cummins (2/41 and 5/57) and the returning Scott Boland (2/54 and 3/51) showcasing their brilliance.

The victory temporarily lifted Australia to the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings. However, they were soon displaced by South Africa following their win over Sri Lanka. India, meanwhile, slipped to third place.