Indian pacer Khaleel Ahmed warned for Samuels send-off
Young Indian pacer Khaleel Ahmed was on Tuesday warned and handed a demerit point for giving an “aggressive” send-off to West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels during the fourth ODI in Mumbai. Ahmed was found guilty of a Level 1 breach in the ICC Code of Conduct. “The incident happened in the 14th over, when the leftarmer, after having Marlon Samuels caught in the slips by Rohit Sharma, advanced aggressively towards the departing batter, which, in the view of the on-field umpires, could have provoked a reaction from the Windies player,” said the ICC in a release.
Ahmed violated Article 2.5 of the Code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international match”. After the match, the 20-year-old admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Chris Broad, making a formal hearing redundant. “Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points,” the release added.
When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points, leading to bans of various degrees. Left-arm pacer Ahmed was the standout bowler for India in the game, taking three wickets for 13 runs in five overs. India won the fourth ODI by 224 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The second game ended in a dramatic tie.