Indian opening batter Shubman Gill was fined 15% of his match fees by International Cricket Council (ICC) for appearing to criticise the decision to give him out on the fourth day World Test Championship (WTC) Final on Saturday.
The India opener was sanctioned after his sarcastic post on social media over a controversial Cameron Green catch, which was upheld by the third umpire in WTC Finals against Australia, came to light.
Shubman Gill breached ICC’s Code of Conduct
According to a statement released by ICC on Monday, the young cricketer was found in breach of Level 1 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel – which is about public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match.
ICC in its statement also added that the council has added one demerit point to the Indian opener’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.
ICC in its statement also added that the incident occurred after the fourth day’s play when the Indian cricketer criticised the third umpire’s decision for his dismissal on social media. “Gill too accepted the sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing,” the statement added.
Why was Shubman Gill fined?
The incident in question took place in the second innings of the WTC Final match between India and Australia when Shubman Gill was batting on a score of 18.
Gill’s reaction on social media came after Third Umpire Richard Kettleborough judged that a catch by Australian player Green to remove Gill had been taken cleanly. The decision had caused a stir among fans and former cricketers, with the Indian batter also expressing his dismay on his Instagram and Twitter accounts.
On Saturday, Gill posted a screengrab of Cameron Green taking the controversial catch with the ‘clapping emoji’ on his Instagram story, while emojis of magnifying glasses and a disappointed face were painted over his Twitter post.