November 14th belonged entirely to Jasprit Bumrah at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc with his bowling on the very first day of the first Test match between India and South Africa. Playing Test cricket for the first time on this historic ground, Bumrah took 5 wickets, terrifying the entire batting line-up of South Africa.
ICC to take action against Jasprit Bumrah?
But apart from this, Bumrah also made headlines for his words, as he used objectionable words for South African captain Temba Bavuma and now due to this, the threat of ICC action is looming over him. Bumrah, known for his calm demeanor on the field, is rarely seen making any comments about opposing players.
However, on the first day of the Kolkata Test, Bumrah displayed a side few would have expected. This occurred on the last ball of the 13th over of the innings, when an LBW appeal was made against Temba Bavuma. It was there that Bumrah discussed the DRS with captain Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
During this, Bumrah referred to Bavuma’s height and called him a “dwarf.” Pant also repeated the word. But Bumrah didn’t stop there. Returning after the DRS discussion, he again called Bavuma a “dwarf” and also used a shameful insult. These insults were recorded on the stump mic and immediately went viral on social media. Now, this could become a source of trouble for Bumrah.
Know the ICC rules
In fact, Bumrah’s use of such abusive language constitutes a violation of the ICC Code of Conduct. Article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct specifically addresses this, which prohibits the use of abusive language towards a player, support staff, umpire, or match referee during an international match. Punishments for this violation range from reprimands to fines. Most importantly, demerit points are credited to a player’s account, which remain for 24 months.
Now, if action is taken against Bumrah, he could face a reprimand or a 20 to 50 percent deduction of his match fee. He could also be given one or two demerit points. If this happens, Bumrah could face the threat of a ban in the future. In fact, Bumrah received a demerit point for an act during the Asia Cup. According to the rules, if a player accumulates four demerit points within 24 months, these points are converted into suspension points, and the player could be banned for one Test match, two ODIs, or two T20 matches.
