The West Indies players were fined 10% of their match fee for maintaining a slow overrate in the fourth T20I against Australia in St. Kitts on Saturday.
Reon King of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees imposed the sentence after the West Indies were found to be two overs short of the goal after time allowances were applied.
According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which addresses minimum over-rate offences, players are penalised 5% of their match fee for each over in which their team fails to bowl inside the allocated time.
Captain Shai Hope pleaded guilty and accepted the recommended sentence, therefore there was no need for a formal hearing. Meanwhile, the on-field umpires Gregory Brathwaite and Leslie Reifer, third umpire Zahid Bassarath, and fourth umpire Deighton Buttler all levelled the charge.
“We know how difficult it is to defend a score here. The way the Australians have been batting, I believe we need a few more runs to cushion our bowling efforts. However, it is possible that we did not appraise the situation adequately. That’s something we’ll have to think about before the final game,” skipper Hope said at the post-match presentation.
[About the fielding] “We either comprehend or overlook the necessity of excellent fielding performances, especially when the ball is flying all over the place. You must ensure that you are putting your body on the line and taking those critical risks, as this can determine who wins and who loses. So it’s possible that we’ve let ourselves down. But the reality is that fielding is critical in cricket games, especially close ones when you need to give yourself a chance of winning,” he said.
On the other side, Australian captain Mitch Marsh appeared pleased with his team’s performance, which extended their advantage to 4-0 in the ongoing five-match series. He also thought his bowlers did well to limit the flow of runs despite playing on a batting-friendly pitch.
“I believe it was an excellent overall performance. To capture a few early wickets, we knew that teams like the West Indies would bat deep and come hard throughout the innings, which they did. But, based on how we were able to traverse some hard overs and maintain collecting wickets, I believe 230 is about average. “I thought it was an outstanding effort with the ball,” Marsh stated.
The fifth T20I will be played on Tuesday, July 29.
India
