The International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed a substantial punishment on England bowler Reece Topley for venting his anguish after suffering a severe injury during the first Twenty20 International match against the West Indies in Barbados.
Anger erupted during the live match when the 30-year-old bowler, who had previously suffered several injuries over his career, took yet another hit. Reece Topley really had to quit his over and leave the game after a tentative attempt to continue following the rain delay in the opening Twenty20 International in Barbados after jarring his knee in his delivery stride.
An ICC sanction was imposed on Reece Topley after his outburst in Barbados.
The England pacer became quite irritated as he walked back to the pavilion. According to reports, last week during the present five-match T20I series opening between England and the West Indies in Barbados, the fast bowler snatched up a chair and collided it with the stair rail.
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His outburst in the Wankhede Stadium during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which ended due to a fractured finger, was comparable to this episode. Though he was spared penalty for his outburst at the 2023 ODI World Cup, Reece Topley has now been fined 15% of his match money by the ICC.
“Topley was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match,” the ICC said in a statement.
After a knee injury that causes dissatisfaction, Reece Topley receives one demerit point
Reece Topley’s first disciplinary infraction in the last two years has resulted in a fine and one demerit point on his record. The ICC’s Emirates Elite Panel of Referees’ Richie Richardson imposed a punishment on Topley, who took responsibility for his conduct.
A formal hearing is thus unnecessary. On-field referees Leslie Reifer and Zahid Bassarath, together with third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire Deighton Butler, reported the incident.
Level 1 infractions are punishable by an official reprimand, fines of up to 50% of the player’s match fee, and the addition of one or two demerit points to the player’s record, according to ICC regulations.
A player will be banned if they accrue four or more demerit points in a 24-month period. It is noteworthy that these points can be converted to suspension points. But this was the first crime Topley had committed.
Reece Topley’s recent injury history in brief
The severity of Topley’s most recent injury is still unknown, but it was sufficient to prevent him from playing in the second Twenty20 International match in Barbados, where England won by seven wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the current series against the West Indies. Topley’s comeback for the third Twenty20 International at Saint Lucia on November 15 is still up in the air.
Notably, the most recent knee injury joins a long list of injuries that Topley has suffered throughout his career. He has dealt with a sprained ankle from a boundary accident during a practice game in Brisbane, which forced him to miss England’s successful 2022 T20 World Cup campaign, as well as a potentially career-ending stress fracture in his back.
