Former England pacer Stuart Broad has criticised the match officials for fining Mohammed Siraj 15 per cent of his match fee and awarding him one demerit point for an aggressive celebration in Ben Duckett’s face after dismissing the England opener on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s.Siraj, who has taken four wickets in the Test, was found guilty of breaching Article 2.5 of the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, 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”.“Find this ridiculous. Siraj 15% for aggressive celebration,” Broad wrote on X.“Gill swears live on TV & carries on and what? It’s either both or neither.“Players aren’t and shouldn’t be robots, but consistency is key.”England were all out for 192 in 62.1 overs. India, who ended the day at 58/4 on Day 4, are 135 runs away from victory.“Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after a breach in the ICC Code of Conduct during India’s Test match against England at Lord’s,” said the ICC in a statement.
“After the dismissal, Siraj celebrated close to the batter in his follow-through and made contact as Duckett began his walk back to the Lord’s long room,” the statement added.“In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Siraj’s disciplinary record. This was his second offence in a 24-month period, taking his tally to two demerit points.”
