By IANS,
New Delhi : Gautam Gambhir was Friday handed a one Test ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for elbowing all rounder Shane Watson at the third test against Australia here. The Indian cricket board said the opener will appeal against the ban.
Match Referee Chris Broad imposed the ban on Gambhir for violating the spirit of the game during an on-filed spat with Watson on the first day of the Kotla Test Wednesday.
Watson had abused Gambhir, who while taking a run stuck out his elbow, hitting the bowler. Watson escaped with a match fee fine of 10 percent. Both were charged with violating the ICC’s Code of Conduct.
As a result, Gambhir, who is in terrific form, will have to miss the final Test at Nagpur. But depending on the date of the hearing of the appeal, the opener might still have a chance to play.
Gambhir was charged with a level 2 offence, which states that players shall at all times play in the spirit of the game. Gambhir claimed the incident was not deliberate.
“For Level 2 offences, the concerned players have the right to appeal against the adjudicator’s decision within 24 hours of notification of the decision. Accordingly, Gambhir will be lodging an appeal,” N. Srinivasan, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said in a statement.
The hearing by the match referee took place Thursday evening after the second day’s play. While Watson was fined Thursday, Gambhir’s hearing was adjourned till Friday morning as Broad wanted to have another look at the footage.
“The decision to find Gambhir guilty of a level 2 offence is indicative of the fact that any degree of physical contact is unacceptable,” Broad said while announcing the decision.
“I would have been obliged to impose a minimum penalty of a two-Test match ban. But in the view of the umpires, the facts of this case – the lightness of the physical conduct and the element of provocation – would not justify such a penalty,” he said.