India captain Harmanpreet Kaur receives a two-match ban | Cricket News
Kaur was reprimanded for smashing wickets after being fired and calling the referee ‘pathetic’ in a game against Bangladesh.
Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been banned for two matches by the game’s supreme body for her verbal blow referees and behavior on the pitch against Bangladesh in a recent game.
Kaur has also been fined 75% of her match fee by the International Cricket Council (ICC), it said in a statement on Tuesday.
The incidents happened during the third match of the ICC Women’s Championship Series against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday.
In the first incident, Kaur expressed his frustration after his dismissal by hitting the wickets with his bat after being found caught in the act of spinner Nahida Akter in the 34th inning of the Indian innings. The all-rounder later called the referee ‘pathetic’.
Harmanpreet Kaur was reprimanded for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the third #BANvIND ODI 😯https://t.co/3AYoTq1hV3
— ICC (@ICC) July 25, 2023
Kaur was also reprimanded for her behavior during the post-match presentation ceremony when she openly criticized the refereeing of the match.
She was heard telling her Bangladeshi counterpart Nigar Sultana to invite the referees on stage, forcing the Bangladeshi players to withdraw from a joint photo session.
The ICC said Kaur admitted to “showing her disagreement with a referee’s decision” and “publicly criticizing an incident that occurred during an international match” and that she accepted her punishment.
Kaur is one of the biggest stars in women’s football in India, having launched a women’s equivalent of the lucrative Indian Premier League earlier this year.
“Set a bad example”
The 34-year-old was considered an aggressive leader and reliable hitter, and led the Mumbai Indians to victory in the first edition of the T20 tournament.
“I’ve been watching cricket for a long time but I’ve never seen anyone behave like this,” former women’s captain Diana Edulji wrote in her Indian Express column on Tuesday.
“She set a bad example for her teammates,” Edulji said.
“It was deplorable to see Harmanpreet calling the referees to pose with the Bangladesh team, suggesting they were part of the team and playing for them.”
Indian Men’s World Cup winner Madan Lal also criticized Kaur.
“Harmanpreet’s behavior against the Bangladesh women’s team was pathetic,” Lal tweeted.
“She is no bigger than the game. She has a very bad reputation for Indian cricket.
Indian cricket authorities “should take very strict disciplinary action”, he added.
Harmanpreet’s behavior against the Bangladesh women’s team was pathetic. She is no bigger than the game. She got a very bad reputation for Indian cricket. The BCCI should take very strict disciplinary measures.
— Madan Lal (@MadanLal1983) July 23, 2023
