Colombo: Football lovers will remember French captain Zinedine Zidane’s infamous head-butt to knock down Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
Now, we have a head-butt, or helmet-butt to be precise, in cricket.
It was Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal who didn’t quite cover himself in glory on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on in Colombo on Sunday. An action he may have to repent as Match Referee Andy Pycroft will surely have a close look and possibly punish Jaiswal.
Having been castled by Lankan pacer Asitha Fernando after he had made a fluent 45, a disappointed Jaiswal began to trudge back towards the pavilion before suddenly turning back towards the jubilating rivals.
Perhaps not happy with something being said by the Sri Lankans, Jaiswal got into a heated altercation that nearly turned physical.
An angry and aggressive Jaiswal confronted Fernando, and the duo exchanged some fiery words. As they moved towards each other, Jaiswal looked to have crossed the line by touching Fernando’s head with his helmet.
Lanka skipper Dhananjay de Silva did well to defuse the situation by taking Jaiswal away from the melee.
Check out the video clip of the incident which has gone viral:
Jaiswal could be in trouble because he made physical contact with an opponent, which is a strict no-no in a sport like cricket.
There is a strong possibility of the incident being deemed as a serious breach of the Code of Conduct, in which case Jaiswal will face disciplinary action.
What could be the quantum of punishment?
Physical assault that causes bodily harm or injury, along with acts of violence such as kicking, punching or fighting during an international match fall under Level 4 offences under ICC’s Code of Conduct.
A Level 4 breach carries the most severe punishment.
“Penalties for Level 4 Offences will range from a ban of between 5 Test Matches or 10 ODI matches, up to a life ban for the player or official concerned,” according to the ICC.
Match Referee Pycroft will call both Jaiswal and Fernando to hear their versions before announcing his decision.
The young Indian opener will be playing that Pycroft won’t be too harsh.
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