Tom Curran Faces BBL Ban Over Umpire Altercation

England’s versatile fast-bowling all-rounder, Tom Curran, has been sidelined for the next four matches of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) following an altercation with an umpire before Sydney Sixers’ game against Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston.

The tournament administration released a statement outlining that after the match on December 11, Curran faced a Level 3 offense under the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct. According to Cricket Australia (CA), Curran encroached onto part of the pitch during a practice run-up before the game commenced.

The umpire verbally directed Curran to refrain from stepping onto the pitch. Subsequently, despite the warning, Curran moved to the opposite end of the pitch for another practice run-up. As the umpire positioned himself near the stumps to block Curran’s approach to the pitch, Curran gestured for the umpire to move away.

Footage showed Curran attempting a practice run-up directly towards the umpire standing in the bowling crease. To avoid a potential collision, the umpire sidestepped to the right.

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Following the match, the Match Referee charged Curran under Article 2.17 of the Code of Conduct for intimidating or attempting to intimidate an umpire through gestures or conduct during a match.

Curran contested the charge, leading to a hearing with Code of Conduct Commissioner Adrian Anderson. The commissioner upheld the offense and imposed a penalty of four suspension points, resulting in Curran’s exclusion from four KFC BBL matches.

In response, Sydney Sixers announced their intent to appeal the decision. Rachael Haynes, Head of Sydney Sixers, expressed the team’s stance: “Tom and the club firmly assert that there was no intentional intimidation of a match official. Based on legal advice, we will pursue our right to challenge this decision. We stand behind Tom and anticipate his return to the field.”

-IANS