Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15% of his match fee by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Code of Conduct during the fourth day of the third Test against England at Lord’s. The sanction comes after Siraj’s fiery celebration following the dismissal of opener Ben Duckett.
According to the ICC, Siraj was found guilty of violating Article 2.5 of the Code, which pertains to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon dismissal during an international match.”
The incident took place in the sixth over of England’s second innings. Siraj, after taking Duckett’s wicket, celebrated in close proximity to the batter, prompting on-field officials to report the act. The charge was laid by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula, third umpire Ahsan Raza, and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd. Siraj admitted to the offense and accepted the penalty proposed by Match Referee Richie Richardson, avoiding a formal hearing.
Despite the ICC’s decision, Siraj received strong support from former England captain Nasser Hussain, who voiced his disagreement with the punishment.
“I didn’t think he should’ve been fined. He went close to the line but didn’t cross it. It wasn’t a shoulder barge. Duckett was already walking in that direction. It’s a game of emotions—you don’t need 22 robots. I love the tension,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.
He further defended India’s approach, calling out England’s time-wasting tactics at the start of play. “The England openers came out 90 seconds late and walked slowly, pretending to get lost in the Long Room. India had every right to respond. That fired everyone up, including Siraj, and he’s a better cricketer when fired up.”
The third Test at Lord’s witnessed intense on-field battles and verbal duels, with players from both teams—Shubman Gill, Zak Crawley, Duckett, and Siraj—engaging in aggressive exchanges throughout.
As per ICC rules, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum of 50% of the match fee, along with one or two demerit points. Siraj’s case was deemed minor but symbolic of the simmering rivalry in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
