England pace bowler Stuart Broad fined over tweet questioning umpire's decision
Saturday 13 August 2016 22:44, UK
England fast bowler Stuart Broad has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee for comments he made on social media over Alex Hales’ dismissal during the fourth Test against Pakistan at The Oval.
Broad has been charged with breaching the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match".
The 30-year-old criticised the umpires' decision to give Hales out to Yasir Shah's low catch at midwicket off the bowling of Mohammad Amir on the first day of the Test on Thursday.
The decision was made in the absence of a definitive video replay to overturn the umpire's 'soft signal' that the ball had not hit the ground before being taken.
Hales himself tweeted a screengrab of the moment Shah gathered the ball, with the words "bit blurry to be fair!"
The opener was responding to his team-mate Broad, after the bowler had questioned a journalist's assessment that "replays are unclear but umps say out" by posting: "replays are unclear? You don't believe that do you?"
For this, Broad was found to have violated Article 2.1.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.
Following the close of the third day's play on Saturday he admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Richie Richardson of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.
"One of the most fundamental principles of the sport is to always accept and respect an umpire's decision," said Richardson.
"In this case, Stuart ignored this golden rule and made inappropriate comments in regard to the umpires' decision."
Hales was also fined for his part in the incident, for confronting the third umpire rather than for his tweet.
