Vision of the incident that saw the Sydney Sixers’ English international Tom Curran suspended for four BBL games has emerged.
Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday announced Curran had been charged with a level-three offence under clause 2.17 in the code of conduct.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tom Curran suspended from BBL for four matches for intimidating an umpire.
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The clause relates to “intimidation or attempted intimidation of an umpire, match referee or medical personnel whether by language or conduct (including gestures) during a match”.
The charge stemmed from an incident during the warm-up before the Sixers’ clash with the Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston on December 11.
Footage of the law breach had not been seen by the public until 7Cricket’s The Spin showed it on Thursday night.
In the video, Curran can be seen doing a run-through on the playing surface in the warm-up before an umpire noticed and intervened.
The umpire turned around and walked towards Curran, who was already making his way back to the top of his mark to prepare for another run-through.
“In the laws of cricket, you are actually not allowed... there are only two people allowed on the actual cut surface before the match starts — that’s the coach and the captain of the sides. You’re not allowed to run on the wicket if you have spikes,” 7Cricket’s Brad Hodge said.
When Curran gets back to the top of his mark, stump mics pick up the audio of the umpire telling him not to run over the wicket.
“You can run here,” the umpire says, pointing to a separate strip, adjacent to the match surface, “(but) not here”, he added, gesturing back towards the wicket in use for the game.
Still standing at the top of his mark, ready to run in, Curran appears to remonstrate with the umpire, who re-affirms: “You can’t.”
Curran ignores the directive, though, and runs in directly at the umpire, who stood his ground until the last possible moment before swerving to marginally avoid a collision with the incoming player.
“That’s ridiculous. That is totally and utterly ridiculous,” Jason Richardson said on The Spin after seeing the vision.
“And this is coming from an experienced international cricketer who has clearly had a brain fade there. You can’t intimidate an umpire like that.”
Former Aussie cricketer Lisa Sthalekar said Curran may not have been able to hear the umpire.
“The first time that he does it, the umpire actually does try and catch his attention, but (Curran has) already run through,” she said on The Spin.
“Then he has the conversation when he’s at the top of the mark. You could hear the ground announcer, there are a lot of voices... so, he hasn’t heard him.”
Hodge disagreed: “I think he’s well aware, though, that he’s actually run on and the umpire wanted to grab his attention and say, ‘No, you can’t do that’.
“What the umpire should have done, in this instance, instead of just going there and standing at the crease, he should have actually followed Tom all the way to his mark, and said, ‘Mate, what you just did there was not in the rules of the game’.”
Sthalekar added: “I think there was a lot of gesturing; I don’t know if he could actually really hear all of that. We can hear it because of the stump mics.”
Richardson was having none of that though, refusing to be an apologist for Curran.
“I understand that, but surely Tom realises (when he’s running in and) the umpire is standing there,” Richardson said.
Sthalekar agreed that “there was an element of two guys not letting go of their ego”.
Hodge concluded: “Right or wrong, you cannot intimidate an umpire in a physical fashion like that. That’s as bad as it gets in terms of physicality towards an umpire.”
The Sixers have announced they will appeal the four-match ban.
In a statement, CA said Curran was involved in an altercation with an umpire after completing a practice bowling run-up in which he ran onto the pitch.
“The umpire took position next to the stumps, blocking Curran from approaching the pitch and gestured to Curran to move away from the pitch,” CA said in the statement.
“Curran was seen in the footage gesturing to the umpire to move away from the pitch.
“Curran then attempted to perform a practice run up and run at pace straight towards the umpire who stood in the bowling crease facing Curran.
“The umpire stepped to his right to avoid the risk of collision.”
Curran contested the charge and the matter was heard by code of conduct commissioner Adrian Anderson, who found the player guilty of the offence.
Anderson imposed a penalty of four suspension points, resulting in a four-match ban.
Sixers boss Rachael Haynes said the club will “vigorously” appeal against the sanction.
“Tom and the club maintain that Tom did not knowingly or intentionally intimidate a match official and, on legal advice, we will exercise our right to appeal the decision,” Haynes said in a statement.
“We will support Tom during this period and look forward to him returning to the field.”
Curran took 3-19 from four overs as the Sixers posted a six-wicket win over the Hurricanes with four balls left.
- With AAP
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