Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur suspended for two matches: Here's why
What's the story
In a major blow, Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women's cricket team, has been handed four demerit points by the International Cricket Council for her conduct during the third and final ODI against Bangladesh that ended in a tie. After being found guilty of a Level 2 breach of the ICC code of conduct, Harmanpreet will miss India's next matches.
Context
Why does this story matter?
After a dramatic tie, tempers flared up as Harmanpreet slammed the umpiring standards during the post-match interview. Notably, the teams were devoid of the Decision Review System (DRS) during the series. The Indian skipper lost her cool on the ground after a couple of decisions went in Bangladesh's favor. Having received three demerit points, Harmanpreet will sit out of the next two matches.
Incident
What happened on the ground?
Harmanpreet was disgruntled with her LBW decision during India's second innings, as she felt that there was an inside edge. After being given out, the Indian skipper smashed her bat into the stumps and had a brief argument with the umpires. Some more controversial decisions throughout the match led to Harmanpreet's outburst. Her actions made headlines and she drew flak across social media.
Match
The summary of 3rd WODI
Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat in Dhaka. Fargana Hoque scored Bangladesh's first century in Women's ODIs as the hosts finished at 225/4. In reply, India were off to a poor start, losing two wickets for just 32 runs. Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol led India's fightback. However, the fall of six wickets inside 34 runs resulted in a dramatic tie.
Decisions
Other decisions which sparked controversies
Indian batter Yastika Bhatia was adjudged LBW in the fifth over, which left her stunned as she stood her ground. Later, Harmanpreet was given out after she attempted a sweep off Nahida Akter. There was visible confusion about whether she was LBW or caught. Eventually, it was the latter. There were doubts over the dismissals of Amanjot Kaur and Meghna Singh too.
Behavior
Harmanpreet's actions grab eyeballs
After the match, the Bangladesh media slammed Harmanpreet for insulting the opposition players and captain Nigar Sultana. As per reports, the incident happened while both teams were posing with the trophy. The Indian captain reportedly asked the organizers to call the umpires, taking a dig at them. It was during the post-match ceremony that Harmanpreet termed the standard of umpiring "pathetic".
Decision
Harmanpreet receives three demerit point
The ICC, on Tuesday, handed Harmanpreet three demerit points for breaching the code relating to "showing dissent at an umpire's decision". Therefore, Harmanpreet has become the first woman to be received a Level 2 sanction since the code of conduct breaches started releasing publicly in 2016. Notably, Harmanpreet has also been fined 50% of her match fee for this offense.
Information
Harmanpreet also receives a separate Level 1 penalty
For publicly criticizing the match officials, Harmanpreet has received a separate Level 1 penalty along with a fine of 25% of her match fee. Notably, the Indian skipper was slapped with one more demerit point. Harmanpreet has agreed to the sanctions proposed by Akhtar Ahmed.
Ban
Harmanpreet to miss two games at Asian Games
Harmanpreet has now accumulated four demerit points, which have been converted into two suspension points. As per the rules, four or more demerit points result in a player getting banned for one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first. India Women's next assignment is during the 2023 Asian Games where they will feature in the T20 tournament's knockouts.