BCCI announces next course of action against Harmanpreet Kaur on her conduct against Bangladesh

On Tuesday, three days after the conclusion of the One Day International (ODI) series in Dhaka, the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed a two-match suspension on India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur. This disciplinary action was taken due to her violation of the Code of Conduct on two separate occasions during the series decider on Saturday at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium. 

The delay in the ICC’s statement regarding the incident led to veteran Indian cricketers demanding strict action against Harmanpreet from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Finally, on Thursday, the board’s secretary, Jay Shah, broke his silence and clarified their stance on the incident.

Harmanpreet was fined for two separate breaches of the Code of Conduct during the third match of the ICC Women’s Championship series against Bangladesh. In the first incident, the 34-year-old vented her frustration by smashing the stumps after being dismissed, when she was adjudged caught at slip during India’s chase. As a result, she was fined 50 percent of her match fee for the Level 2 offense and received three demerit points.

Following the match, Harmanpreet openly criticized the standard of umpiring, describing it as pathetic. Consequently, she was found guilty of breaching article 2.8 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which pertains to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision.” For this Level 1 offense, she was fined 25 percent of her match fee and received one demerit point.

During a media conference on Friday, Shah shed light on BCCI’s stance regarding the incident in Dhaka. He disclosed that the board will not seek to appeal for the revocation or relaxation of Harmanpreet’s ban, as the time for appeal has expired.

Furthermore, Shah revealed that BCCI president Roger Binny and NCA head VVS Laxman will provide guidance to the fiery Harmanpreet in the coming days, as directed by the board.

As a result of her two-match suspension, Harmanpreet will be sidelined for the quarterfinal and semifinal matches at the 2023 Asian Games. However, she will have the opportunity to redeem herself and secure the long-awaited gold for India, should the team advance to the final in her absence.

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